Finding Paradise: Wolf's Rain
by Okamilover1
Summary: Wolf's Rain Fanfic about the wolves trying to find Paradise. Nobles have hunted them down to small numbers but rumor has it that wolves can find a place called Paradise and hunting commences again. Takes place a little after the series finale.Everyone's reincarnated and in a modernish setting. Pairings include Kiba x Cheza, Blue x Hige, Tsume x Toboe, Blue x Quent(not romanticly).
1. Chapter 1: Prelude of Wolves

Hello and thank you for checking out my Wolf's Rain fan fiction. None of these characters belong to me. There will be spoilers for the original series everywhere so read with caution. This series takes place a little after the series finale. Everyone's been reincarnated and they are looking for Paradise again. I'm going to try to get all the characters in here (even the ones don't really like; such as Darcia...

 **Chapter 1: Prelude for Wolves**

 **-Toboe-**

"A long time ago" the old woman took a deep breath, her small wrinkly face relaxing a bit. "Before any of you were born- "

One of the little kids interrupted her, his excitement getting the best of him. "Even before you were born Granny," he asked, shouting.

"Yes Toboe, even before I was born."

Toboe grinned. He and the other children had probably heard Granny's stories a thousand times. Even so, they were all snuggled together; the warmth of the fire and a small portion of soup in their bellies. They were happy.

"You always interrupt and then Granny falls asleep and we can never hear the story right" one of the other kids whined.

Toboe pouted "but I have questions."

Some of the children were asleep already (most of the younger kids anyway) Toboe never wanted to go to sleep early and miss any of Granny's stories. He knew they'd help him one day, if even if he wasn't entirely sure how.

"Alright," Granny started after they settled down a little. She shifted around in some blankets. Her bracelets jangled as she made herself comfortable.

"There was, a long time ago, a time when animals and humans lived together happily. The smartest, strongest, and the quickest of these animals were wolves." A toothless smile appeared on her face. Her bracelets jangled as she held up her hands in excitement. The fire blazed, and she continued speaking. "The wolves of the past searched for a place known as Paradise."

Toboe sat up straighter upon hearing the word Paradise. He had heard it before. Even still, everything Granny said it something inside him sparked. He didn't know what it was (the feeling or Paradise.) And Granny never gave direct answers.

"I'm not sure myself Toboe. I've never seen it"; Granny would say to him. "Maybe one day, you'll find it yourself. Granny would tussle his wiry brown hair. He always felt warm and happy when he was with her."

"The wolves searched for this place. Guiding them, was a beautiful young woman. A woman who was born from flowers. The wolves treated her as if she was their queen."

That was a part of the story Toboe had never heard before.

The other animals all respected the wolves. Everyone lived peacefully together. Some say, when the wolves got bored or wanted a change of pace, they would disguise themselves as humans."

Toboe's felt his back stiffen. Frantic thoughts raced through his mind; had she found out? What should I do if she has?

He gulped. Granny was continuing her story. No one was paying attention to him.

"Did they find it?" one of the younger kids asked loudly.

"No" an older kid shouted back, laughing a little as he said, "They got killed by nobles."

Toboe found himself growling. "You shouldn't say things like."

"I can say whatever I want."

"Well," Granny's eyes grew solemn. "No one knows for sure what happened. There aren't any wolves around now" her smile was back.

Toboe sighed in relief. 'There aren't any wolves around' was the best and most comforting thing anyone had said to him all day.

"So maybe that's where they went. Paradise."

Frowning, Toboe thought to himself; I wish.

Granny continued for a bit longer. Strangely enough, Toboe had stopped listening. Right now, he could only think about the nobles. About what they had done to all the other wolves. About what they must have done to him. He couldn't remember how he met Granny or how he came to this city. And he barely understood how and why humans thought he was one of them.

Now, whenever Toboe thought of the nobles, it felt as if pure hatred was coursing through his veins. He hated them.

Granny yawned and smiled and told the kids "Let's all go to bed."

The children huddled around her, all trying to stay warm. "Granny will tell all you kids and even longer story tomorrow."

They all fell asleep, except for Toboe. Fear and anger kept him awake. He tried to relax. The nobles don't know where I am…. They don't know who I am either. I'm fine.

Toboe curled up into a little ball and hoped for the best.

 **-Kiba-**

This city was absolutely miserable. Sure, Kiba liked the cold, but it wasn't just cold there, it was pure, bitter misery in the air. He sighed.

The scent of Lunar Flowers had disappeared. Now, the scents of trash, filth, and god knows what else flooded his nose. Something in Kiba's mind made him hope. The scent wasn't gone. It couldn't be. Not this time. The scent was just being blocked by all the crap in this place.

"This is really disgusting" Kiba spoke to himself as he walked into an ally way, trying to pick the scent back up. He quickly regretted that decision; it smelled even worse in the alley. There was so much noise too. So much filth everywhere.

I should find something to eat soon.

He continued silently thinking to himself, slinking down an alley way, then he thought I'll get out of this terrible place. Then I'll find the Lunar flowers; then Paradise. The smell was gone for sure this time. Kiba was starting to learn just how hard finding Paradise would be.

The streets were cold and dirty. It was that scent that brought him here, that wonderful sweet smelling scent. And now it was gone. So, he'd leave too. Kiba could feel the scent drawing him closer, beckoning him forward. He went. He chased it. He had been chasing it for what felt like his whole life now. It had been a few years.

"We're wolves. We'll all find Paradise." The voices of Kiba's pack echoed through his mind. They're lives weighed on his soul. They were dead. All they would have wanted was for him to find Paradise.

It was night now. Much to Kiba's annoyance, the city, and its people were acting as if simply time passing was a celebration. They were loud and obnoxious. They danced through the darkened dirty streets of the city with the same happy look in their eyes that Kiba would have if he could find some food.

His stomach growled. That only made him realize he was thirsty too.

All these happy people were still getting on his nerves.

Thankfully, none of these people seemed to realize he was a wolf. Except for the couple animals pulling carts through the streets. They made an effort to stay away from him.

Kiba wandered around through the streets for a little while, hoping that somehow the flower smell would reappear. His stomach growled again. It was dark and he had somehow stumbled onto an abandoned train track.

The moon was higher in the sky than it had been before. In this abandoned dark area it gave him some comfort.

As soon as he decided to rest under a metal structure a new smell hit his nostrils. Food. Kiba got up and chased after the smell. He ran as fast as he could and followed it into one of the abandoned train cars. The train was a bit off the tracks. It was rusted and none of the doors were open so he jumped through a broken window.

The smell of food filled the train car. It only took Kiba a short while to break open one of the cargo boxes and start wolfing down all the food.

Kiba had already eaten half of the contents of the crate when he heard someone shouting and running towards him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Kiba heard a growl and within seconds someone was slashing at him with a knife.

His attacker was fast. Kiba barely had enough time to jump away. Whoever was attacking him was fast and strong; just the type of person Kiba didn't need to be fighting right now.

"I don't mean you any harm" Kiba's voice was raspier than he expected it to be. Of course, he hadn't been saying anything for days now.

The man who had been yelling at him was now stabbing at him with quick and precise jabs. Kiba might not have meant him any harm but his attacker certainly did.

Then it hit him, just as he got slashed in the arm with the knife, that man was a wolf.

Kiba's eyes widened. He hadn't seen a wolf in years and now, right here, he was face to face with one. Someone just like him. Well, Kiba's fur was white (and covered in blood stains and dirt.) This attacker wolfs fun was gray.

"Wait" Kiba shouted, stopping in his tracks. The attacker wolf stopped for a second then stabbed towards him with his knife. "You're a wolf, aren't you? What are you doing in this city?"

Blood was pouring out of him from at least two different places. Pain coursed through his body. None of Kiba's questions would be answered. As soon as the other wolf opened his mouth to speak, he passed out.

 **-Tsume-**

"I don't mean any harm, he had said.

While I do Tsume thought slashing at the man's face.

"You're a wolf, aren't you?"

Two wolves fighting under the moonlight. This was the type of stuff Tsume lived for. Unfortunately, his opponent hadn't put up as much a fight as he had hoped he would.

The white blood covered wolf collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.

I didn't even break a sweat; Tsume thought as he put the knife back in its sheath.

Some of his subordinates ran into the train car. They're so slow; he thought as he let out an annoyed growl.

"Tsume, what happened" one of them screeched.

"Is that… a dog?'

"Geez man. Did you have to kill it like that" a younger member asked, a look of disgust on his face?

"Do you think it'd be ok to eat?" a girl said coming closer to the two of them.

"Stop," Tsume growled, loud enough for everyone to here. "It's not dead… and it's not a dog. It's a wolf."

"Oh my god man" one of them shouted.

"Are you sure? There hasn't been a wolf around here for centuries."

They started talking amongst themselves, in frantic hushed tones.

Tsume almost laughed. Two wolves right under their noses and they were too stupid to see it.

"Of course I'm sure" his tone was harsh. They all moved a step back.

"S-should we give it to the nobles? Can we?" One of the girls asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"I'll take care of it," Tsume said coldly. He scooped the wolf up and threw his body over his shoulder. "I'll be back in an hour. Go without me if I'm not."

His subordinates scattered as he walked through the door and towards the depleted wilderness.

Tsume walked for what felt like thirty minutes. The outskirts of the city were more dangerous than anything else. No one came out there at night. There were robbers, rapists, and murderers out there. No one wanted them in town so they stayed out here; preying on unsuspecting travelers.

The moon was closer to them now. Nobles had burned down the forests a long time ago.

Thinking about them made Tsume's skin crawl and his fur stand up on his back.

The forests were slowly growing back. Plants that had adapted to survive the harsh colds struggled to grow back. There were a handful of animals out here. Tsume hunted them sometimes.

You brought down a deer by yourself his subordinates would say, impressed by his strength. He didn't need their praise.

If you can survive out here by yourself, then why do you need them?

"This is as far as I take you," Tsume said throwing the other wolf down on the ground. "Don't come back here" he growled.

He let out a sigh and turned around to face the city "next time I really will kill you."

He had gone out of his way to dump the wolf out of the city. Tsume wouldn't kill him this time. Who wasn't hungry around here. He could understand his behavior. But he wouldn't let it happen again.

He might have been angry at the white wolf but those humans were out of their minds if they thought he'd give him over to the nobles.

 **-Hige-**

It was always busier when the moon came up. Things were more exciting during this time. The best food venders and the liveliest women.

It was always cold there and the moon looked ominously close; but to Hige, this place was home.

"Hige, stop day dreaming and get to work" the butcher yelled from across the room. "And shut that window! It's freezing outside."

Hige was perched in the window seal of the third floor of the building. He didn't know why they made the buildings so tall there. The wind was so bad sometimes that he could feel them shifting under his feet or paws.

At first, Hige though he was imaging it. He woke up in freeze city one day, filled with humans, and assumed that he too was a human. Everyone acted normally around him as if he were one of them, but he knew he wasn't, so did the other animals. Hige knew he was a wolf.

He could see his reflection in the cold glass of the window. A nice looking brown wolf stared back at him (with maybe a little more extra weight on his bones then he should be carrying.)

Every day Hige told himself this has to be a trick. An illusion. Animals ran from him, he could see himself in the glass, his wolf self, staring back at him. But as if to drive him completely made, whenever he was around people, they treated him as if he were the same. He didn't have anyone he could talk to. The butcher he worked for already thought he was crazy.

The butcher had found him outside of his shop one day, digging around in the trash. Hige couldn't remember had been before he'd come to Freeze City. He couldn't remember anything from his past. And he had been so hungry, laying in the snow with a terrible headache and a weird collar attached to his neck.

He still couldn't get the thing off. But in the four years that he had lived in Freeze City, he had given up on trying to remove it. It looks alright he had thought one day maybe it adds to my rugged good looks.

Hige's noise led him to the butcher and his shop. He saw about to eat something out of his trash and he immediately cooked him a pork chop. Hige stayed with him and worked for him ever since. Just like everyone else, the butcher had no idea he was a wolf.

It wouldn't have mattered to him if anyone knew, but the way people talked about wolves around here, Hige was sure anyone who found out would catch him and skin him alive for the nobles. The people of Freeze City were all good people (expect for maybe that weirdo and his gang by the train tracks). The nobles, on the other hand, were not someone he wanted to mess with. They were obsessed with wolves.

Hige heard rumors about them. About how they were killing wolves and drinking their blood to stop illnesses and death. Some said the nobles believed a wolf's blood would give them eternal life. Others said they were forcing them to help them find a place called Paradise.

Hige was sure that was a load of crap. He got sick just like everybody and he'd never seen any Paradise before in his life. At least he felt at ease. No one knew he was a wolf and, with any hope, they never would.

The old man was behind him now. He hit him on the head with a (probably stale) bread roll.

"Close the window" he sighed. "Here" and he shoved the roll into Hige's hands (paws?)

"And there's some stew on the table. Come sit down and eat."

Hige fell out the window-sill and rolled onto the floor. He nearly trampled over the old man to get to the table. Food he thought drooling.

The old man fell into the chair across from him. "You hardly do anything all day and you still act famished."

Hige laughed "you're a good cook. And besides, I like to work while the moon is up."

"Oh, you youth and your eccentricity's" he smiled "it's a wonder any of you young folks get anything done around here. The old man lifted the lid off the stew pot and started pouring it in both of their bowls.

Hige stared at the pot his eyes glistening in anticipation. "Aww" he frowned "there's no meat in it" he complained.

"Hige if I fed you like you wanted me to ever day I'd have to close up my shop."

"Fine" he pouted. "Thanks for the food old man." And with that, the two of them started eating their dinner. The moon shone in from the windows and the fire place kept them nice and warm. This was a life Hige was happy to live.

 **-Blue-**

"Why did we have to come to this place, Pops?" Blue sat on the top of the wagon, watching the oxen do their best to pull through the snow.

"We're coming for the wolves" the old man, Pops as blue called him, handed her a blanket. She took it and wrapped it around herself. "You shouldn't be up there Blue, its freezing up that high and in the snow."

"I like it" she smiled, the pure white snow falling on her dark brown hair and skin. "It feels exhilarating."

Pops sighed "you're such a weird girl" he smiled "but I suppose we're both a bit weird.

The nobles couldn't get into the city right now. Pops was great at navigating harsh weather conditions. He knew that wolves would gather here, away from the nobles. And Blue was happy to go along with him. She always did, and she always would. He had saved her life after all.

She wanted to be there for him, to help him and protect him. So that one day, if he ever needed saving, she could be there for him.

It was wolves that killed her family. Her old family. Pops was her family now, and she would do anything for him. If hunting wolves was his life's work, then she was happy to accompany him.

The moon was high up in the air by the time they reached the inn. It seemed larger than it did back at the farm. Somehow intimidating.

Pops rented a room at the inn and then wandered off somewhere. He told her he was going to trade some of the things they had brought from the farm but Blue feared the worse. He's going to go off and drink again.

Blue made up her mind. She pretended to go to sleep on one of the beds and when he was gone she followed him.

She had been in countless city's before, hunting for wolves with Pops. This city was different though. Something felt weird there. It felt as if the moon were drawing her near. And there was this scent she couldn't quite place lingering in the back of her mind; Does this have anything to do with the nobles? The wolves?

Blue set that aside for now.

Different thoughts filled her mind; I'll go see if anyone knows anything about any wolves in this area. She frowned to herself and then I'll go stop Pops.

Even since the wolves had killed her brother and her mother (the ones who had adopted her) he felt farther away from her. He had wanted to hunt down and kill wolves before but this was different now. He had devoted his life to killing them. He still smiled at her and they still laughed over the old times. Other than that, though, all Pops did was drink and polish his weapons.

If Blue could just find one, not just for her but for Pops, they would both be happy.

He felt more distant than usual. Something in the back of her mind told her if I can't find one this time. I'll lose him for sure.

 **-Cheza-**

Cheza knew the wolves would come for her. She had faith in them; just as the nobles and scientists had faith in her.

"They will come for this one. This is the place they will appear." Cheza had told them that two weeks prior. She pointed to a map they had made for her, asking her where they would fine the wolves.

The wolves would find her, wherever she was. Not the other way around. So she pointed to a place at random.

Freeze City.

Their driver had looked horrified at this. Is Freeze City a bad place for this one to go. But Cheza didn't dare question herself. The plan was in motion; fate had heard her make her request. The meeting place may not have mattered then but it certainly mattered now. The wolves will find her in Freeze City.

Cheza knew why she wanted to wolves to find her, however, she was given no explanation as to why the men and women she traveled with wanted to find them.

Two scientists, eight noble knights, two drivers, and one maid. They had two wagons. Cheza rode with the maid and six of the knights while everyone else rode in the other wagon.

They had built the wagon especially for her (that's what they told her, at least.) It was fitted with a sky light so that on sunnier days the rays would shine down on her. At night, the moon shone through the glass. Cheza didn't need to sleep (which seemed to frighten the maid) but she loved to bask in the moonlight. The moon will bring us together she had said to one of the scientists.

She was surrounded by nice people. For that, she was glad. Cheza could only remember one day when she was ever unhappy. She didn't like to think of that day though.

Hello and thanks for reading! This chapter was really messed when it got uploaded, but I fixed it...maybe. Oh and sorry about all the possible technical mistakes I'll probably make.

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	2. Wolf's Rain Chapter 2: Wolves and Wounds

**Chapter 2:**

 **-Kiba-**

Kiba's wounds were terrible; knives and fang marks dug deeply into his flesh. His white fur had been long since covered in dirt, grime and mud. Hunting the flower smell had kept him busy and unable to clean himself up. The dirt in Kiba's fur intermingled with stain of blood. Blood that tracked behind him as he staggered back into the city. Snow crunched beneath his paws; a wonderful sensation that became marred by the cold concrete of the city.

Whatever that gray wolf was doing packing up with humans was beyond Kiba's concern. It did bother him, but he pushed his instincts aside in favor of his flower search. The flower smell was here, he could feel it, and a few wounds and pools of blood weren't going to stop him. Neither was a lone wolf and his pack of thieves.

Kiba pushed forward through the city, retracing his steps and getting himself back on track.

The flower smell is somewhere in this city; he kept telling himself as if simply willing it would allow Paradise to appear. Something was telling him not to leave and that whatever he needed to find would be here.

Kiba didn't know how long he'd been walking. The city was large and not at all easy for him to navigate. His steps were starting to feel weighted, as if he was physically drudging through the concrete he was walking on. Humans walked past him, moving on with their lives while keeping a respectable distance. Kiba was grateful for that, he'd had enough of humans to last him a life time.

The moon was high up in the sky by the time he stopped. With all the effort Kiba put in walking and his blood loss, he found that he had to stop. Having traveled from city to city on his quest, Kiba was very much aware of the inter-workings of humans. As he slunk down into an abandoned alleyway all he could hope for was that alleys were the abandoned places he'd observed them as. And after all, even if they weren't, no one would mess with an injured man bleeding on the ground. Or at least Kiba hoped no one would.

 **-Hige-**

A night of hunting rabbits had successfully tired Hige out. He walked back home with a satchel full of rabbits and his head held high. Especially because, in this cold and snow, catching prey was nearly impossible. Prey was scarce. A couple rabbits seeking refuge from the blizzards, the occasional stupid young deer. So he held his bag close at his side and with a growling stomach, navigated through the city.

He could smell blood and anger in the streets (more so than usual). Something wasn't right today.

Hige always considered himself a wolf with a good sense of smell. He could smell the difference between human blood and rabbit blood. What he smelled in the alley way where the back entrance to the butcher shop wasn't either of those things. What Hige smelled was wolf blood.

His nose twitched at the sudden invasion. Another wolf was here, Hige thought as he turned the corner.

What he saw nearly made him drop his satchel of rabbits on the ground. A white wolf sat on the ground, bloodied and cut. Hige's stomach turned; he felt nauseous but he hadn't eaten anything to throw up.

His body tensed. Was this the work of one of the nobles who he'd heard so many stories about? Why did the first wolf he'd ever met have to be murdered in the streets?

Hige let a few minutes' pass, silently mourning his fallen brother, before heading inside. He threw the satchel onto the table and went in search of food. Sure, he could eat the rabbits as they were but the old butcher hated when he did that. He paid Hige sometimes even though Hige ate a lot of the meat and slept near the warm fire of the house. Hige was a great hunter though, even when food was scarce and the air was practically frozen, a wolf could always find something to eat.

"Hige, there's a man out there" the old butcher shouted to Hige as he came inside the house.

Hige didn't know how it worked but humans couldn't tell wolves were wolves normally. That fact seemed to be true for the white wolf as well, not that it'd done him any good.

Hige frowned "yeah but he's-" he struggled to finish his sentence, finding that seeing another wolf dead was harder for him than he thought it would be "-he's dead."

"No, he isn't" the butcher shouted, nearly knocking all the grief out of Hige. "Are you blind, he's breathing and trying to stand up."

The old man went back out the door muttering to himself; "kids these days getting themselves hurt over nothing."

Hige ran out the door to help the white wolf.

The wolf's breathing was heavy and strained. He'd propped himself up against the wall and was trying to walk. Hige ran over next to him and leaned into him for support.

"I'm fine" the wolf spoke in a groggy tone.

"No, you're not" Hige insisted calmly. "Stop moving around" he added firmly "you'll hurt yourself… more than you already have I think."

The white wolf sighed and stopped struggling. Hige managed to get him into the house and watched as he slunk down the ground. The wolf eyed Hige suspiciously as he started to treat his wounds.

Hige sighed in relief. "I'm Hige" he said not able to stop himself from grinning. "I've never met another wolf before."

The white wolf's yellow eyes narrowed and it dawned on Hige that he shouldn't be talking so loudly; especially here, and about wolves.

It's a shame he isn't a girl though, he thought before whispering;

"How'd you get so injured?"

"Bandits" the white wolf spoke quietly "there was another wolf and he-"

"Really" Hige shouted, cutting the white wolf off "that's great-"

"Really though" Hige continued, "this is awesome" he nodded to himself "maybe we can all get together sometime and-"

"No" the wolf interrupted him. He frowned "no. Sorry, but I really have to be going." He struggled to stand up. "Thank you for the bandages though."

Hige sighed, this wasn't going nearly as well as he wanted it to. "Where are you in such a hurry too anyway," he asked, wondering if she should stop him or not."

"I have to find Paradise" the white wolf replied, strain noticeable in his voice. Hige wouldn't have to stop him though; the white wolf fell back on the floor and passed out, asleep.

Thank you for reading! I put the PoV of the characters at the top for easier reading. Kiba and Hige meet! Kiba x Hige isn't really a pairing I think about often but they work well together. If you liked this fan fiction then please subscribe, comment and favorite this story.

Have a nice day!


	3. Wolfs Rain Chapter 3: Hot Dog Wolf

**Wolfs Rain**

 **Chapter 3 Hotdog Wolf**

 **-Hige-**

Staying by the white wolf's side for so long had been a long and hunger inducing process. Hige was glad to have another wolf in his pack. Only now he was afraid that Kiba would die before the two of them could become friends. Not having any past medical experience (or any past experience for that matter) Hige wasn't sure how close to death's door Kiba was. Hige sat by Kiba side for two hours before he finally felt him moving.

Hige watched as Kiba struggled to get out of bed. Despite his white fur covered in bruises and dried blood, Kiba got to his feet and moved towards the door. Hige stood up as well, wobbling a little and pushing through his pain and hunger. When this was all over, he'd go and get something to eat.

"Wait a second" Hige called after Kiba, chasing him across the room. "You can't just leave, your hurt." He smiled a bit "and aren't you going to thank me for helping you back there? You could have died."

Kiba stopped and turned around. His breath was loud and ragged against the nearly soundless room. "Sorry," he said as if he'd only noticed Hige for the first time." Thank you… for helping me." His mouth moved into something that was sort of a smile.

As distressed as Kiba looked, Hige was sure they were in immediate danger.

"What's wrong," he asked as the white wolves face tensed.

"I really have to go" Kiba replied quietly.

Hige nodded and thought to himself, 'if he really wants to go then I shouldn't stop him.' He opened his mouth to speak, a little unsure of what he was going to say himself when Kiba started talking again.

"Do you know of a place called Paradise?"

Hige cocked his head to the side and thought for a moment. Kiba looked so hopeful now. Whatever was driving him to ignore his pain and continue going was obviously this 'Paradise' place. Hige felt a twinge of sadness when he had to say "no."

Kiba sighed then put his nose up to the air.

The white wolf needed to find Paradise and while Hige wasn't that concerned about it he did have a yearning to reclaim some of his lost memories. Somehow, meeting another wolf seemed like the answer to Hige's problems; and while he got along with the humans in the city it was always nice to be near another wolf.

Hige wasn't good at most things. He lived with a human, hunted rabbits, and had never fought against the nobles. He didn't know much about them. They killed wolves and bullied the townspeople but Hige never acted. No one knew he was a wolf and things were honestly better that way for him.

The way Kiba looked like he'd been through so much pain and horror in his life, but was still journeying on. Hige felt inspired.

"Well, what is it" Hige asked the white wolf currently scenting the air.

"What?"

"Paradise" Hige responding, "What is it." He was excited suddenly, and while not exactly sure why he decided to go along with it.

He watched Kiba's eyes widen. A minute later, he got his answer.

"Paradise… it's a place for wolves."

That simple answer sparked something in Hige. Where every Paradise was, he had to find it.

The answer was simple but Hige found hope in it. He knew he had to help the white wolf find this place.

There was a quick silence between them though the room itself wasn't quiet. The loud patter of horse hooves and human feet surrounded the two wolves. The white wolf looked off into the distance again and then stared directly into Higes' eyes. Kiba had decided on something and it showed on his face.

He looked determined, and when he spoke, his voice dripped with a sort of energy that Hige had never heard from him before.

"I've been searching for it for a long time. For what I think is a year, barely resting, eating or drinking. My search has brought me here… to this bitter and human filled town. But I can feel Paradise near. Or at least I could" he said, his eyes grew weary again "I lost the trail."

Hige was more focused on the fact that Kiba had said he barely rested, ate or drank. That disturbed him more than it obviously disturbed Kiba. He wanted to say, 'you haven't eaten anything lately? Let's go and get hot dogs.' Then his mind wandered to hot dogs. The street vendor down the street made the best ones. The actual meat was larger than that of a regular hot dog and if Hige said he didn't want to hot dog bun, the vendor gave him more ketchup.

Thinking about hot dogs only made him hungry (hungrier than he already was) and his stomach growled.

The opportunity presented itself.

"This seems important, why don't we get some food while we talk about it."

Kiba looked disgusted and when he didn't say anything Hige continued with a shrug. "You were rushing out here to chase a scent you can't even find anymore. The least you could do is get something to eat."

Kiba seemed hesitant to follow Hige at first. Once Hige explained that 'food makes everything better and that he wouldn't find Paradise on an empty stomach,' Kiba went with him.

The two wolves walked down the busy streets; one, with thoughts of hot dogs on his mind, the other with the serious dream of Paradise. Hige was a little nervous walking with Kiba at first. The white wolf didn't seem to know (or what to) blend in. His eyes were cast down at the ground and his face was twisted in a sort of frustration that Hige had never seen before.

Soon, they made it to the hot dog stand; where Hige bought two hot dogs and already started eating his.

Kiba stared at the hot dog, wrapped in foil and oozing ketchup. Reluctantly, he took a bite as he stared at Hige, who had already wolfed half down half of his ketchup covered sausage. The two of them settled on a small cement patch off the side of the road and started talking.

"So- "Hige started talking between bites "How are we going to find this place?"

"Sometimes… there's it has this scent. I think… if I weren't here I'd be able to trace it."

Hige smiled, "well I can probably find it." If it was one thing Hige was good at, it was tracing things through smell.

"Hey-" Hige said licking a smudge of ketchup by the side of his mouth. "Do you remember anything from when you were a pup?"

Kiba nodded "yes. It wasn't much of a life though. My family died when I was very young." He sighed, grief overtaking him momentarily.

Hige interrupted him. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he said smiling a bit. Now that he thought about it, it was probably better that Hige didn't know anything about his past.

Hige's collar suddenly felt heavy around his neck. He coughed and decided to change the subject to a happier one.

"Did you like the hot dog?" he asked, a smile reforming on his face.

Kiba made what sounded like a lurch. "Well," Kiba's eyes shot to the ground "um no. What type of meat is this any way?"

Hige's disappointment was put to an end by a foreign smell in his nostrils. It couldn't be Paradise. He was going to ask Kiba but he didn't want to get his hopes up. The smell was metal and really disgusting.

It took a second before it registered in his mind. Nobles. Now he could hear the clanking of metal on the newly fallen snow. Hige jumped to his feet in panic. Thoughts raced through his mind; 'were they after him? Did they realize he wasn't a wolf?' And what could Hige do to protect himself? He'd never fought a noble or any human for that matter. The most challenging thing he'd ever faced was a angry heard of deer.

The space between Hige, Kiba, and the nobles was starting to close. While Hige was sure Kibacould take care of himself in a fight (he looked like a tough sort of wolf) he was wounding and Hige had little fighting experience.

"We've got to get out of here" Hige blurted out. He started running. Kiba wasn't following him so he said with a frown "Paradise is this way."

Which wasn't a lie, if the two of them ended up dead, they'd never find the place.

 _Hello and thank you for reading! This is a Wolf's Rain Fanfiction, none of the characters belong to me. I was going to make this chapter much longer but (I got lazy) so now it's a cliff hanger (: I named this chapter hot dog wolf because it's an ost in Wolf's Rain that, when I listen to it, it always reminds me of Hige._

 _Comment and Subscribe (:_


	4. Wolf's Rain Chapter 4: Bloody Fang Snow

**Wolf's Rain**

 **Chapter 4:** Bloody Fang in the Snow

* * *

 **-Kiba-**

When Hige told Kiba he'd found Paradise Kiba had been thrilled. Something was very wrong though, he could feel it. With the snow becoming denser and colder Kiba had a hard time navigating through the side streets and ally ways Hige was leading him through. Kiba wanted to find Paradise, that was important to him, of course. Running around through the streets didn't feel right to him either. The way Hige was acting and the weird energy in the city didn't feel right to him.

They ran like that for a while, through the snow and grime of the city. Hige was running ahead at first, surprisingly for a wolf his size. Kiba could've easily outrun Hige, even with his wounds, but he matched his pace instead. He was kind of happy for the break, even if it wasn't much of one. Hige stopper and yelled that was probably

"Look out".

Kiba didn't know exactly what because something terribly loud made his ears pop. Gunshots. Gun smoke. Gun powder. He felt like gagging and now his ears were ringing. instead, he heard gunshots.

'Which way were they coming from' Kiba though.

But he soon got his answer. They were coming straight for the two of them.

Kiba watched as Hige awkwardly jumped out of the way. To his side with a panicked look on his face. Kiba didn't know how Hige had survived in one place for sufh a long time. Or maybe he did.

'I can understand why he needs to pack up with humans' the white wolf thought as he dodged the bullets himself.

But Kiba was awkward too. The road was covered in snow and ice. He skidded into a wall. The bullets were closer this time and an eerie vibration was emanating from the ground. The bullet firers in question appeared. Kiba and Hige weren't on a main road but all the merchants and other civilization humans were gone. The road and the surrounding roads were eerily silent but for Kiba's growling, Higes whipering and the strange metal vibrations. Snow was falling from the sky in thick puffy specks. The vibrations grew louder. And the bullet fire started again. Another bullet grazed Kiba's flank. He dodged it. The pain of his old wounds seemed to course through his body.

Hige was saying something. It was hard to tell at first. Kiba had to strain his ears to hear Higes voice. Between the vibrations, the gunpowder, and the overall stench of the city; Kiba was overwhelmed. It was such a terrible place, to begin with. With humans, everything seemed wrong.

"Kiba, we've got to keep running."

Kiba still couldn't fully process what Hige was saying. His ears were still ringing. The split second that Hige turned and ran to Kiba's side ( like he wanted to fight with him but wasn't sure); the sound waves grew so loud that they knocked Kiba and Hige back into the wall. Kiba slammed into the wall but quickly jumped to up to his feet. He growled, instinctively, as he came face to face with a group of humans.

There were four humans; clad in heavy looking metal suits and holding large knives and sword. Kiba hadn't had that many run-ins with humans (especially humans in metal suits). He wouldn't have been able to tell, if not for their smell. In their armor holding metal swords and guns, it was hard to believe they weren't monsters. Kiba had learned, through his travels, to stay away from humans. Not just because he didn't like them either; humans hated Kiba. Every time they noticed him they attacked.

He didn't know why humans seemingly wanted him dead but he knew to stay away from them in general. He killed humans throughout his travels and while he knew to hide his form, he hated doing was something so humiliating about pretending to be a human all the humans who attacked Kiba before had always been farmers or novice hunters.

After Kiba's family was killed Kiba wandered until he found an abandoned farmhouse to stay in. He stayed there for a whole winter as a pup. Once the frost of the winter was thawed by the warmth of the spring sun, Kiba set out. A group of humans discovered him and he expected the worse. Instead, the gave him some leftover food scraps and left him alone. Kiba could only look back and think that they thought he was a dog. The whole situation left him feeling disgusted. Kiba hated to take any hand outs from humans as much as he hated being called a dog or running from a fight. And if one thing was clear from his days on the road and his encounters with humans, it was that humans hated wolves.

His wounds from his travels seemed to be a source of never-ending pain to him. As the armor wearing humans unsheathed their swords, Kiba took a wide fighting stance and growled a deep growl. Whatever weapons they'd try and use on him, he'd be humans came at him. They slashed at him with their swords. As he jumped up from the ground he could feel the sound waves in the air. His ears bled and a wound from his shoulder started to drip blood on the ground.

Kiba landed on one of the man's head. He was wearing a suit of armor that didn't include any sort of helmet. The metal of the man's chest plate was cold and foreign against Kiba's back paws. The man flailed backward as Kiba ripped into his neck. He drew blood instantaneously, the spatter adding to his already blood covered white fur.

Kiba kicked the man as he spun around and landed on the ground. The man fell on the pavement beside Kiba and he didn't get up. Kiba watched him sputter and weeze before he stopped moving. The other humans seemed just as frozen as the dead man for a moment. They all stood in silence ( except for Hige and his frantic hyperventilating ).

The air was suddenly think with the same malice and bloodlust Kiba often felt when he encountered humans. He growled and they almost looked happy. As if the death of their fallen pack member meant nothing to them. Their hands were tightly wrapped around their weapons and their armor seemed too shine in an inappropriately enthusiastic manner. They were waiting for the right moment to strike.

Kiba stood in the alleyway with his legs spread evenly across the pavement. His eye were sharp and hus teeth ready to bite. In many ways, he felt the same blood lust that they did. Kiba snarled at his attackers, his yellow eyes giving off the same kind of cruel glimmer as the strange metal the human's swords were forged out of.

The snow continued to fall as another one of the humans stepped forward and swung their sword downward to strike. The other humans stayed back (probably cautious of Kiba's fangs). At this point, Kiba didn't see any hope of running away ( not that he wanted to). They were cornered in the alley. Through the falling snow, harsh winds and the sound waves emanating from the men's swords it was hard to hear. However, Kiba could faintly hear even more humans coming near.

A chill ran down the white wolves spin as he jumped foward to dodge. The humans sword scratched the pavement. Sparks danced on the ground before a few jolted into Kiba's coat and the humans armor. The strike would have lopped Kibas head off if he hadn't dodged. Something told Kiba he had to be more careful of the vibrating swords. They were sharp and of a strange metal Kiba had never encountered. the bullets were large and they smelled terrible. Kiba didn't have any desire to be shot ether.

Kiba sprung into the air and landed on a nearby wall. He pushed off the wall and used his momentum to leap into the air again. He'd meant to land near the man's head and bite him in the face ( as he had the first human). Instead, Kiba landed on the humans heavy metal armor, near the man's chest.

Kiba collided with the mans armor. His body seemed determined to remind him of how much pain he was in every chance it could get. Kiba's body bounced off of the armor with a loud 'thud.' His ears rang as he fell on the ground and stayed down for a few secounds. His ears pricked up. Hige called to him ( he couldn't make out what he was saying) but it was enough to knock him out of his daze.

Kiba growled as he jumped to his paws and into the air again. This time he jumped onto the metal clad humans face. He ripped into the humans neck as ferociously as he could. Kiba didn't want to admit to admit it but he was really starting to feel like a wolf on the brink of exhaustion.

As he landed on the ground he barely avoided a bullet to his side. He jumped backwards and hit a wall. ( The same wall that Hige was pressed up against trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible.) Kiba couldn't run away. He wouldn't let himself. All those years ( or how ever long it was) of running away angered him. He wouldn't let the humans drive him away. He'd stand up and fight. He'd hold his ground and kill all the humans before they could kill the two of them.

But then there he was, his wounds bleeding onto the snow covered pavement and his breath hard and ragged. His old wounds were probably reopening themselves and his vision was getting blurry.

He didn't want to run. Only now he wasn't sure if part of the reason was because if he ran anywhere he'd collapse from blood loss. He grit his teeth and stared down the two remaining humans. But his ears pricked and twitched. More were coming.

Hige was saying something again. Kiba's ears were still ringing but he could make out.

"More are coming. We need to go now."

* * *

 **-Cheza-**

It was very faint, but Cheza could feel the wolves presence. They were there, somewhere in the city. Her blind guess hadn't been wrong after all. This relived her. In fact, she was thrilled! After all she'd been taught, how to sense the wolves and how to lead them to Paradise, she still feared her powers were false. This was the first time she'd ever used them. The first time she'd even been asked to use them.

It was a huge weight on Cheza's shoulders. Every day she felt more and more hopeless. In her abilities and everything else. She didn't feel good enough. And she didn't feel like the prophesied girl that the Noble Council had thought her to all thought she was powerful. They envisioned grand things for her. She wouldn't disappoint them. She couldn't fail.

Leading the wolves to Paradise was just one of her tasks. Cheza was born from nature. It was the earth that gave her life and the essence of the sacred Lunar Flower that flowed through her veins. When she thought of these things, Cheza became even more troubled. She hadn't known a way she could live up to their expectations. She felt such gratitude towards the people who raised her. She couldn't let them down, nor could she fail the wolves.

Sure, the feeling was faint. But Cheza could sense the wolves. They were nearby. It was a strange tingle in her body. The blood that flowed thoughout her veins seemed as if it wws on fire. And as an added bonus, it was snowing now outside her carriage.

Snow wasn't something Cheza had ever experienced before. They had made the carriage warm and comfortable for her but she could still see it piling on the sunroof they'd installed for her. It was like a huge white lump. What she imagined a white wolf ( which she had only seen in pictures) to look like.

'Are wolves cold like the snow or are they as warm as this one is' she thought. And as she watched it fall from the sky it reminded her of the powdered sugar they would give her when she finished all her studies sometimes. 'Does it taste good' she thought to herself licking her lips, and now very curious.

These surrounding were foreign to Cheza. She had to find out more. What did it feel like to be cold? Does snow have a taste? A smell? Where does it come from? How much further until they reach town? And what is a town anyway? Questions about the snow ( as well as questions about the wolves) practically bounced around in her mind. But Cheza kept silent. Her attendant seemed busy at the moment. The woman, Cher, was foreign to Cheza as well.

Instead of the woman who Cheza normally traveled with ( she was called a maid), she found herself sitting across from a woman who called herself a 'scientist' and barely spoke ten words. She had said she wanted to be the only one who traveled with Cheza. While Cher seemed nice enough, she exuded a scary and serious aura that made Cheza feel a little 's hair was blonde, like the sun. Cheza knew she had a strange hair color by human standards ( light pink ) but something seemed strange about yellow hair. Was this woman of the flowers as well?

Cheza considered asking but the woman already seemed occupied enough. She was busy, methodically writing on a tablet that Cheza now knew was called a notebook. It was sudden but Cheza felt something. She clenched her teeth and doubled over in pain. Cher was at her side in seconds. The carriage bumped and rocked as they went over a hill.

"What's wrong," Cher asked. Cheza didn't know how to respond. The feeling was still there. She was getting a better grasp on it. It wasn't anything she'd ever felt before. It was pain. A sharp angry pain in her heart. She clutched her chest and fell over on her side, her head in Cher's lap.

Tears flowed out of her eyes, down her face and onto the warm wood floors. Her chest felt like it could burst open any second. This wasn't normal. It didn't feel right. Cheza's body felt tingly and hot. Her mouth grew dry but she managed to croak out words.

"The wolves" she yelled. " T-they are nearby!" Cheza nearly felt too tired to speak but she managed to whisper what she wanted to say "someone has hurt the wolves."

Cheza couldn't speak anymore. Her body shook and she started to scream. She could hear Cher saying something but she couldn't make out what. Cheza felt distant as if her body was someplace else. She could still think, her mind racing for answers. 'Is this what it should feel like to sense the wolves?'

Cheza knew sonething was wrong. She could feel the wolves wounds. Their pain. She could smell their blood and almost see the pain in his eyes. The wolf, she could see him. If she focused on his pain and closed her eyes. She could see his piercing yellow eyes, now dulled in pain. She could feel his desperation and sadness. His white pelt stained in red. He wasn't giving up. However he was fighting, he snarled and snapped at them with such ferocity that it almost scared her. She had to find this wolf. This wolf deserved Paradise.

Cheza prayed a silent prayer; that the white wolf would escape his attackers and meet her. That she would find him so that they could find Paradise together.

* * *

Hello, and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction. None of the characters belong to me. They belong to Keiko Nobumoto and Studio Bones. (: I appreciate all feedback! I know that there are comments, unfortunately, I have know _idea_ how to reply to them. Cheza was never my favorite character but I'm really trying to give her some backstory. ( I've got big plans for her hehehe) I also wrote Cher Degre into the story because I thought it would make sense for her to be there and like all those minor characters. Kiba and Hige are in hot water and it's only chapter four o_o

Comment and subcribe if you liked it! (:


	5. Wolf's Rain Chapter 5: Run Away's

Wolf's Rain

Chapter 5

Run Away's

'Oh no' Hige thought as he stood behind Kiba. 'On no' was just the only thought Hige's mind could process in this horrific time. He'd always felt safe in the city. He could go out and buy a hot dog or hunt in the outskirts of the city without any fear of being hunted down by strange metal clad humans.

Hige had never encountered so many sword and gun wielding humans in his life. He tried to stand next to Kiba as the two of them made their stand against the metal clad humans, or what Hige thought most humans referred to as Nobles.

He growled and held his ground for what was probably three seconds before shriveling up and hiding in the corner.

Kiba looked fantastic attacking and defending himself against the nobles. The way he changed direction in midair and attacked humans without hesitation was so admirable that Hige almost decided to join in the fight.

This went on for a while; Hige decided he'd help but the he'd press up closer to the wall.

Kiba looked like he was doing fine on his own. He was quick on his feet and his ferocious and his fangs let off a terrifying glint. The white wolf was soon soaked in blood. Before, he'd only been smeared in dirt and grime (and a little hot dog ketchup). Kiba's muzzle especially was blood coated. Hige was glad Kiba was on his side.

The white wolf landed on his paws after attacking one of the nobles. There faces weren't covered in armor. Kiba had taken advantage of that fact by attacking the humans on their faces and necks. He killed all four of them men with a ferocity that made Hige shake more than the early morning chill.

Hige could hear more footsteps in the distance. He could smell the disgusting stench of armor and gun powder in the air, and getting closer.

More humans. More murderers.

Hige froze for a moment but Kiba's angry growl snapped him out of his paralyses.

"Kiba we need to get out of here" he yelled.

Hige jumped onto the siding of the building behind him. He was perched on a window seal as he shouted down to Kiba.

"Seriously Kiba come on! You're going to get yourself killed."

The white wolf showed no sign of backing down. He stood in the ally way, fur brisling and teeth gleaming. Most of the blood covering his fur was or human origins but Hige could see a medium sized pool of blood forming on the ground under Kiba.

Hige shook his head and sighed. Kiba was stubborn, but Hige wasn't about to see his new wolf friend murdered in the streets.

"If you don't come with me now then you- then we'll never find Paradise" the plump brown wolf shouted.

Kiba stopped growling within an instant and climbed up the roof with a speed that Hige didn't think he'd ever be able to achieve.

Bullets grazed the two of them, even as they climbed up to the roof top. It was cold on the roof. It was still snowing and the roof was made of a strange cobble stone that made Hige's paws sink into the earth. Hige urged Kiba to run to the next roof top. When Hige turned around he could see Kiba was running out of energy.

"Do you want to rest for a bit? I think we lost them" Hige's voice was full of concern.

"No" Kiba angrily responded. Even from just one word, he seemed extremely out of breath. "I want to find Paradise and I can't find it if I rest."

The brown wolf sighed. Kiba seemed determined to get himself killed. All of this drama was just a little too much for the happy go lucky Hige. Sure it was great meeting another wolf and all but ever since Hige had met Kiba he'd gotten into way more trouble than he would have liked.

Paradise sounded like a wonderful idea. But that's all it was to Hige. He didn't even have the nostalgic luxury of being a pup and dreaming about Paradise. He didn't have time to devote his life to fairytales; especially the ones that were so seemingly unattainable. Paradise was a nice thought, free food and a tranquil life with his own kind. It seemed nice but Hige knew it couldn't happen. Even if it could, the amount of work it would take wasn't something he was interested. Besides the fact that he didn't hate his life with humans. Although a huge part of that was probably because he didn't remember his life as a wolf.

The snow continued to fall, hard and fast on the roof tops. Hige knew, with what little hunting experience he had, that snow made it difficult to track prey. Or course, Hige had never been in the position where he would call himself prey. It was freezing outside, but the thought still sent an even colder chill down his spin.

But for the fact that he was covered in blood, Kiba blended in with the harsh winter landscape. However, a brown wolf stuck out like a sore thumb in the clear city skyline. He hoped for a blizzard. Also, that the humans who attacked, the nobles, were terrible trackers.

Hige watched the snow covered white wolf and sighed. They were both too weak to fight (not that Kiba would admit it) so he needed to do something to insure their survival

"We won't be able to find Paradise out in this snow" Hige said, more irritated then he would have liked. The snow was picking up but it wasn't yet a blizzard. Normally he'd be able to navigate through the snow, he was just using it as an excuse. He shook some of the snow of his pelt and smiled wearingly.

"We need to be careful" he said as he started to walk. "If we get lost we're never going to find anything out here."

'Except for a swift death' the brown wolf thought to himself. He looked behind his shoulder and saw Kiba reluctantly following him.

Hige sighed a sigh of relief. He'd feel really terrible if his one and only wolf friend got himself killed on his watch.

The jumped from roof top to roof top. Hige took is slow because Kiba was injured but he was really happy to be able to go slowly. He could tell that when uninjured, Kiba was much faster and stronger than he. That was find by him though. Kiba would have had to be strong to account for the way he acted. The white wolf didn't think about himself and he seemed determined to sacrifice himself for something that was only a fairy tale to Hige.

The sun was pale and hidden behind the snow producing clouds at this point. Hige could tell it was noon. It was later then he would have liked but he had to work with what he had been given.

The plump wolf jumped off of the roof and squoze himself into an opening in the wood work of the building next to it. He looked back and waited for Kiba to follow him.

"These old towns have dozens of these abandoned buildings in them" Hige said as he slowly widened the entrance. "They're great for catching rats" to that Kiba cringed "and for hiding out when you need to."

When they both got inside, Hige closed off the way they'd came through and started cleaning the place up a little.

"I come here a lot" Hige said to Kiba who was now laying on the ground licking his wounds.

"Every time I come back the place is always a mess. Spooky huh?"

Kiba simply nodded.

Hige was starting to think that the white wolf wasn't one for conversation.

'Unless it's about Paradise' Hige thought.

The two of them sat in the building for a while. It was littered with trash and rat skeletons. Because a fire hadn't been lit, it was almost as cold inside the building as it was outside. Hige though about lighting on, but he didn't have the right materials. He was also getting tired. As far as he could remember, he'd never done this much running before.

Hige decided to push his tired feelings to the side. He got up, stretched, and then started to wiggle his way back out of the building. Kiba was still sleeping, which was for the best; Hige knew he wasn't in any shape to travel. He just had to run out and get some bandages. Kiba had gotten beat up pretty. Sleeping would do him some good but sleep alone wouldn't be enough to heal his wounds.

Kiba needed medical supplies, food and water.

Hige tried to keep a low profile as he walked back to his home. He had some blood spatter on him but it wasn't anything serious. People kept to themselves in this town. Hige knew that as long as he kept his head down and his wits about, he'd be fine.

It had to be late afternoon by now. Humans kept time with watches and clocks and things like that. Hige may have lived in a town full of humans for years but he still preferred to look to nature for answers.

Things hadn't been peaceful before but at least they seemed were always what Hige expected them to be. He knew what was coming and how to prepare for it. Things had changed.

To even further prove his point, out of nowhere, Hige was face to face with a nervous looking brown wolf.

Hello, and thank you for reading! This is a shorter and less eventful chapter because I'm feeling really sick. This is a chapter that needed to be written though, I was going to write another, longer part from another characters point of view but as I said before… I feel like crap.

So, here it is. The next chapter will be more exciting though.

Subscribe and comment (:

None of these characters belong to me. This is a Wolf's Rain Fanfiction


	6. Wolf's Rain Chapter 6: Kill to Live

Wolfs Rain Chapter 6 –Kill to Live, Live to Kill

Wolf's Rain

Chapter 6: Kill to Live, Live to Kill

* * *

 **-Tsume-**

There wasn't much reason for Tsume to be out wandering around town. It wasn't like there were any jobs that needed to be done. His pack of humans was taking a break until the next robbery. They were very lazy. It annoyed him but they always listened to whatever he said.

It was late in the afternoon and the snow was sticking to his coat. It was still as cold as ever outside but Tsume was growing restless indoors. He'd wanted to go and hunt in the outskirts of town but there was hardly any game left. Not to mention he'd want to hunt in broad daylight. He was sure he could kill any humans that found out he was a wolf but they were nuisances he'd rather avoid at the moment.

Lately, Tsume had been thinking about the white wolf who'd showed up and eaten all his food. That hunted down meat was practically worth a chest of gold pieces. That other wolf had stolen it from him. If he showed his face in town again Tsume would kill him. Food was usually scarce in town and humans were natural gluttons. Most humans would pay whatever price they had to in order to stay full and comfortable. The humans around the area were usually too sick or too drunk to fend for themselves. That's where Tsume and his pack in.

Being a wolf gave Tsume natural hunting abilities, His coat was warm and he didn't mind the cold. In fact, walking through the freezing snow was helping him take his mind of his human pack and the wolf that had infiltrated his defenses. He knew that there were two other wolves in his city. They were able to conceal themselves well and they were not his concern. As far as he could tell, the white wolf had wandered back into his territory.

He was still making up his mind. Should he kill the wolf for stealing from him and then coming back? Or should find him and watch his for a while. The latter was the more boring but noble soldier had recently started popping up all over town again. Allowing the white wolf into his pack was also an option (though a very distant one.) Turning him over to the nobles was the least desirable option. For one, no matter how much Tsume didn't like the wolf, it still felt wrong to just let a bunch of humans kill him.

What would stop them from trying to kill Tsume? That wasn't a fight he wanted on his hands right now. There were too many of them for his pack of humans to handle. They were poorly motivated and wouldn't stand a chance against a well-trained group of soldiers. Tsume wanted to kill them himself, and he would, but he wanted to wait for the right time. The right time wasn't now.

Tsume could smell the stench of nobles all around him. He could tell there were more of them the usual. He could smell blood too. More blood then he'd smelled around for a long time. Something was wrong. A wolf's been captured or killed. A feeling of unease grew in his stomach but he pushed it aside.

Tsume didn't have time to worry about other wolves.

Whatever the nobles attacked him with, he would be ready.

Humans had terrible scents, but the noble humans were worse. The scent of malice and stupidity was mixed with the scent of gunpowder and metal. Living amongst humans wasn't exactly Tsume's ideal situation but he couldn't live the way he used to. He couldn't go back and live with another wolf pack.

Lately, there had been another scent. One that actually smelled good. Flowers and grass. But it wasn't a normal flower smell, it was, honestly one of the best scents Tsume had ever come across. It was warm and welcoming.

He didn't have time to investigate it. He had more important things to do then search around for a strange flower smell.

Something was wrong (well more wrong that it usually was). Someone was following him. He didn't turn around, he kept walking. Even still, Tsume could tell he was being followed.

Were they hunting him because they somehow knew he was a wolf or because they knew he'd stolen from them?

Tsume rounded a corner and sighed. It didn't matter either way. They were following him and if they were going to keep following him, they would die.

Tsume growled and sprang up onto the roof of a nearby building. A wolf killing people in the streets wouldn't be good with all the noble humans swarming around.

He peered off the rooftop. There was an angry woman standing down there. Her eyes were filled with anger.

'She must not be able to get to me' Tsume thought with a smirk.

When he started to walk away he felt a breeze behind him. He jumped backward so he was further away from her.

It was strange, the woman sort of smelled like a wolf but she looked completely human.

She started digging around in her coat pockets for something. Tsume produced his blade and growled. He hoped she wasn't reaching for a gun. He hated the smell of them and they were a pain to dodge.

Not taking his eyes off the woman Tsume automatically shifted into a fighting stance.

She produced a set of knives and shifted into a fighting stance of her own. There was a sort of aggression and confidence in her eyes that he liked. Whatever the reason she was hunting him down didn't matter. Tsume was glad to fight with her. She looked like she might actually pose a threat.

'This could be fun' he thought licking his lips.

Neither of them said anything. Neither of them moved. For a while, the only movement and sounds were that of the wind and the woman's trench coat.

"I don't appreciate being hunted down like prey" Tsume stated, breaking the silence.

She looked a little surprised at first, then she answered.

"I'll kill any and all wolves I come across" the woman replied.

He nearly laughed. How presumptuous she was! She may want to kill all wolves but she wasn't going to kill him.

The two of them both had different missions and different plans for how they would live their lives.

Her bloodlust versus his will to survive.

The woman came at Tsume with her knives first. She ran towards him at an impressive speed. He dodged her attack and she slashed into the air instead. He jumped behind her and stabbed with his knife. She turned on her heel and parried his knife with her own.

After growling a growl that seemed almost as wolf-like as Tsume, the woman went to stab him in the face. He jumped back but she sent a knife flying through the air after him. It grazed his shoulder. Blood blew in the breeze and spattered on the roof.

Apparently, whoever this wolf woman was, she had more up her sleeve then Tsume had given her credit for.

* * *

 **-Blue-**

There was only one thing Blue was concerned about, and it was killing the wolf in front of her. Her ears felt numb and she would have felt a lot more comfortable with her hands in her coat pockets instead of out in the freezing cold. The pale sun glistened on her knives, which were gripped firmly in her hands. A rooftop wasn't Blue's number one choice for a fight but it didn't matter.

A part of her thought she was going crazy. She could have sworn she heard the wolf speaking. She sighed. It had been fairly warm in the last place she traveled with Pops. The harsh winter air must be getting to her. Animals, wolves, didn't speak. However, in her nightmares, the wolves that killed her family speak. They appear in her dreams and speak in demonic hushed tones. She can never make out what they're saying. Not that it matters.

'No matter what happens, I'll kill it' Blue thought; hot anger practically radiating out of her body.

Over the last few minutes, that task had proven to be more than difficult.

It wasn't like there had been that many wolves to kill over while she traveled with Pops. The two of them wandered the earth hunting for wolves to kill after their family had been murdered. But it wasn't as if there were many wolves in the world, to begin with. A few dogs and half-breeds here and there but this was the first target that had put up a fight. This was also the first fight that Pops hadn't been there with her.

Blue was worried. Not about whether or not she'd kill the wolf. She knew it was only a matter of time before she did; she had wounded it in the shoulder after all and she could do it again.

Blue was worried about Pops. Ever since the made it here he'd starting acting more distant. She barely saw him anywhere and she couldn't find him in the places where she thought he might be. The bars and taverns.

She had been searching for him when she spotted the wolf amongst the townsfolk. Stalking it felt like the safest option. Not for her, she wasn't concerned about her safety.

However, Blue wouldn't let anyone else fall into the bloody wolves clutches.

Once she killed this wolf she and Pops might be able to relax for a bit. She knew he needed the rest. Even if she knew she couldn't.

The grey wolf had started attacking Blue with some sort of metal object. She wondered if it was some sort of knife but she didn't give it too much thought. She couldn't afford too.

It came at her swiftly, attacking her ankles and stomach.

Blue jumped back and when it came to her again she kicked it in the face. Instead of recoiling, it came at her again. This time it aimed its jaws at her neck.

Spinning sideways to dodge the attack; Blue simultaneously threw one of the extra knives she stashed in her jacket sleeve at the wolves face.

It moved in midair and impressively managed mostly dodge Blue's knife. Unfortunately, it got a grip on her right shoulder.

Blue screamed loudly in pain. She felt a bone crack.

The wolf jumped away before she could jab one of her knives into its flank.

She instinctively grabbed a hold of her bleeding shoulder.

There was this weird feeling that came over Blue all of a sudden. She didn't think she was feeling sick from blood loss so soon. Strangely enough, Blue didn't feel any pain. She hadn't noticed it but she had dropped to her knees. Her vision blurred and she started to breathe heavily. Something started to buzz in her ears. It wasn't music as far as she could tell. Just loud and somehow calming static. Blood was still flowing freely from her wound. Blue realized this too late and covered her ears with her hands. The blood ran down her face as the calming noise continued to play in Blue's mind.

Blue must have about to die.

Obviously, she'd never died before but she imagined this is what it felt like.

Blue didn't feel anything. The only sound she could hear was the buzzing in her mind. It wasn't a noise she'd ever heard before. It was unfamiliar and while it was also intruding on her fight; the noise was such a comforting sound that she didn't want it to stop.

Even if she wasn't dying, the wolf she was fighting would kill her sooner or later. It didn't seem fair, for all that hard work she put to amount to her death.

How would Pops feel? Would he even be able to find her if she was killed here? Would he be able to continue living by himself? Would he still hunt wolves?

Blue asked herself these questions and tried to find the strength to at least sit up. She didn't want to die lying down.

'No' Blue thought and was happy that she could hear her own thoughts again. 'I don't want to die here.'

"I won't die" she shouted as she found the strength to sit.

That strength only lasted seconds. When Blue regained her vision she was kneeling in a pool of her own blood.

The wolf was gone.

Blue cursed under her breath.

Her heart was racing and her body felt heavy.

Yet, the comforting noise remained in the back of her mind. The hair on her skin prickled up. She laid back on the ground with a sigh. Her strength was gone.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my fanfic! Happy early Halloween! (Even though this isn't a spooky chapter or anything…) I'm still not feeling well but here it is. Tsume and Blue are fighting. Blues wolf powers are awakening or something… To be clear, Tsume would have killed Blue but he thought she was already dead._

 _None of these characters belong to me, this is a Wolf's Rain Fan fiction! Go support the people who made it (watch the anime or buy some merchandise)_

 _Comments are appreciated!_


	7. Wolf's Rain Chapter 7: Dreams of Wolves

_Wolfs Rain Chapter 7 – Dreams of Wolves_

 _-Cheza-_

It was cold outside and the snow crunched under Cheza's feet. The cold wasn't bothering her as much as it usually did. Something about the pure white snow was so relaxing and serene to her. It fell from the sky in slow lazy waves. Her hair would have been all wet and cold if not for the hooded tunic she was wearing. This was Cheza's first time really wandering around outside and she wanted to do it again as soon as possible.

Cheza had always wanted to go into the outside world and relax like this. Her attendants had never allowed her to go anywhere other than the castle before. There wasn't anything specifically dangerous that they had ever told her about. She didn't know why everyone acted so nervous when she asked about the outside world. They would only give her indirect answers like 'there are people in this world who may wish to harm you.' As vague as it was it did make Cheza afraid to go outside.

However, Cheza was outside and enjoying herself now. She could see the sun dimly shining above the snow filled clouds. Because it was still early in the day she allowed herself more time to explore. What had been presumably a wheat field or some sort of valley was now a large and empty snow covered piece of land. Cheza walked through it slowly. The snow covered her from her waist down. She hadn't noticed it piling up before. She simply enjoyed the sensation of the light and chilly water.

A large patch of pine trees swayed in the breeze. The weight of the snow caused one of the branches to fall right in front of Cheza. She stepped over it and put her hand to the trees large stock.

Being an abnormal plant based person meant Cheza had the keen ability to communicate with nature. She hummed as the plant told gave her some insight as to what living in this cold and rather barren place was like.

Of course, the pine trees couldn't tell her much. Cheza was, after all, much more advanced then they were. Though she didn't know nearly as much as she would have liked she had a high capacity to learn. She thought that was one of the reasons Cher liked her so much. Cheza was always trying to absorb as much information as she could; from books and any other methods she could find.

Though her mission in life was to lead the wolves to Paradise and to save the world; Cheza felt an obligation to learn more about the world she was supposed to save.

'What is so dangerous in this world that needs to be avoided' she thought with a frown.

Perhaps it was better for Cheza not to know. Still her curiosity (which was an emotion recently explained to her by Cher) often got the best of her.

Cheza hummed as she carefully weaved her way through the forest. Her pace quickened with the excitement of being around plants and nature.

She stopped short, her eyes wide open, stunned by what she saw in the distance.

Staring directly at her and blending well into the white snow was a white wolf with piercing yellow eyes.

The snow had covered everything white and had obscured Cheza's vision. Yet, when she looked into the distance she could see a large white wolf looking right back at her.

Her eyes were wide in confusion and awe. A smile crept across her face. She started to walk towards the wolf while singing a sound that she had never heard before. The melody simply poured out of her mouth and a sort of warmth came over her body that she had never experienced before. The wolf came close to her and nuzzled himself in the crook of Cheza's arm.

Cheza pet his soft fur slowly and carefully. This was the first time she'd ever seen a wolf and she wanted to make sure she truly soaked in the full experience. She looked down at her hand sometime later, noticing a strange liquid on her fingertips. Something red and warm dripped off her hand and onto the snow.

The mysterious red liquid tainted the pure white snow. It oozed off Cheza's hand and started to stream down into the forest of pines. The wolf lay there, un-moving and covered in red. A sharp and intense stabbing sensation suddenly came over her. She fell over in pain next to the once white and now red covered wolf.

Cheza screamed a shrill scream and the wolf beside her simply yelped. His piercing yellow eyes were fixed intensely on hers. Cheza put her hand to his muzzle. She tried to use her power to soothe him but she didn't seem to have any power of her own left. The two of them laid together in pain, yelping and wining. Cheza stared at the red soaked wolf and the tainted snow until she felt her eyes involuntarily close.

Cheza woke up gasping for breath. Her heart raced and her breath was shallow and quick.

With eyes wide in alarm she thought; 'What happened?'

A dream…

Putting a hand to her sore throat only made it hurt worse. Cheza must have been screaming for real.

The fact that it had all been a dream didn't put her mind at ease. Her eyes welled up with an abnormal amount of water. It had been a terrible and cruel dream.

After arriving in Freeze City Cheza had lived a week staring out the window of her room at the inn. Cher had been concerned about her as were the other scientists. Cheza had been sure she'd sensed a wolf here but she seemed to be suffering more and more ever day she'd spent here.

She told herself that this was the price she had to pay to find Paradise. But she didn't want to see anyone else hurt. She felt a terrible pain in her chest. Pain was something that had only recently been explained to her so it was still a very foreign concept. As were dreams, snow, and inns. Things that regular people knew all about. Things Cheza desperately wanted to learn more of.

Her attendants had instructed her to pay close attention to all the dreams she had. It wasn't as if Cheza liked to sleep. Because she didn't have to sleep she almost never did. Usually, sleep did feel good to her though.

This was of course a very important dream. Any dream including wolves had to be. However, Cheza had no desire to remember this dream. It had been an unpleasant stain on her memory that she'd much rather forget. She tried to find the bright side of this ordeal. Any dream, no matter how horrific, if about wolves, was important. Cheza and the various people who traveled with her could be one step closer to finding wolves and leading them to Paradise.

The people who traveled Cheza were all brilliant people. She envied them some. Their intellect and resourcefulness in any situation truly amazed her. Cheza hoped that one day, after studying enough, she could find her own wisdom and strength.

The guards and maids that traveled with her always kept a close eye on Cheza. Only now, they seemed even more vigilant and anxious than ever. Cher seemed to have her head buried in the book she carried with her. Cheza watched her write and read at a pace that truly frightened her. Sure, Cheza had been raised to learn basic reading, writing and arithmetic. She just didn't think she'd ever be a good and detected as her.

Cheza had dedicated her life to helping the wolves find Paradise. She had been raised as a noble though. Knowledge was important to Cheza and learning was one of her favorite things. When she was a young girl she had vowed to put any knowledge she learned to good use. After all, it was her duty. Both humanity and the fate of the wolves rested firmly in her hands.

Cheza and her group had taken up temporary lodging in the town inn. Cheza knew she was supposed to stay at her room at the inn. They had made the room nice and comfortable for her. Because it snowed heavily in the area the scientists brought a special light for Cheza to sun in. There was more activity outside Cheza's window then there was in the entire capital. Not that Cheza had that informed an option about the capital. She'd always stayed in her room at the palace. In a lot of ways, this room in the inn was exactly the same as her room at the palace. Still, Cheza never complained. She hadn't any reason too.

Even if it was only for minutes or seconds Cheza was happy to see the outside world.

The snow that danced around in the wind still entranced her. It reminded her of the dream she'd just had. The white snowflakes still provided her some comfort. It was a slight change of scenery. It didn't snow in the capital. Snow seemed to be a daily occurrence in town, however. Cheza watched as some snow clung to a window. She pressed her hand against the window and quickly recoiled it. The cold bothered her much more than it had in her dream.

Cheza continued to stare out her window as she heard the door creek behind her. She could see Cher come through the door in the reflection of the glass.

The blonde scientist had a worried expression on her face as she entered the room.

"Cheza" she said in a voice that sounded both concerned and no-nonsense at the same time. The heat of the fire place fogged up her glasses. She sighed and took them off to clean them.

"Just yesterday and now…" she bit her lip. "If your not feeling well…. Or if you feel any… different. You need to say so right away."

Cheza had been staring at Cher in the reflection of the window but she turned to face her with a frown.

"This one is sorry" Cheza said in a quiet voice. Her throat still felt stained and that was all she could manage. Not that she really felt like speaking up when Cher looked this disappointed.

"I know" Cher sighed and put her glasses back on. "I know Cheza" she repeated with another sigh. "But if something is wrong or your not feeling well. You need to let me know.

Cher often repeated what she said to Cheza a second time. Cheza wouldn't go as far as so say this upset her but sort of was in a way. She always understood things the first time. She didn't need them repeated back to her again. Cheza felt as though it was a waste of time.

Cheza simply nodded.

"One of the maids told me you hurt your throat screaming again" Cher's were filled with a sort of concern. "Were you dreaming again?"

Cheza nodded again.

It seemed like Cher was waiting for Cheza to actually say something so she did.

"Y-yes. This one had a dream… about a white wolf." Cheza couldn't help but smiling, even if the dream had ended badly.

The two of them sat on Cheza's bed as she told the dream she'd had to Cher.

It was strange. Even after Cheza had brought Cher up to speed she still felt a sense of worry. She had asked Cher, if it were possible, if she'd be able to go outside and search for the wolf herself. She knew he had to be close by if she was dreaming about him. After what had happened in the carriage as well. All the signs pointed to a wolf nearby.

Cher had told her to stay put. She simply shook her head no, putting an end to all of Cheza's wolf related dreams in real life. Then Cher did something surprising. She wrapped her arms around the flower girl and let head fall into her chest. They stayed like that for a while, Cheza's fears of dying wolves and terrible fates seemingly melting away. More water flowed out of Cheza's eyes. She'd remind herself to ask Cher about what that meant later.

Cher comforted Cheza and then spoke in a voice that seemed far away

"It'll all be better soon Cheza."

Cher adjusted her glasses and left the room.

Cheza was all alone now with a tight feeling in her chest. She was disappointed that she had to stay in her room until further notice.

Cheza gazed out the window and made up her mind. Somewhere in the city was a wolf suffering and she had to help him. Cher and the others probably wouldn't let her go by herself. She had to sneak out. Maybe tonight when her attendants were sleeping. Cheza didn't want to get anyone in trouble but she knew that she had to go and help whatever wolves might be in the city.

Cheza frowned as she heard someone arguing with Cher. She couldn't make out what they were saying but she had made up her mind. Tonight, Cheza would live her dream. Only this time her dream wouldn't end in failure and sadness. Cheza would find all the wolves and they would all be happy together.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fan-fiction! Wolf's Rain and its characters don't belong to me. Support the anime and the manga by watching and reading it!_

 _This chapter is all about Cheza (so I hope you like her somewhat). It's rushed this time around (again) because of stuff that I'm dealing with but I'll be getting more into the plot soon (hopefully…)_

 _I feel like if the anime had spent more time on them Cher and Cheza would have a close relationship (but me know if I'm falling to deep into OC territory)_

 _Feedback and follows are very much appreciated!_


	8. Wolf's Rain Chapter 8 Unwavering Resolve

Wolfs Rain Chapter 8 – Unwavering Resolve

-Toboe-

* * *

Despite the cold nipping at his skin and the rats nestling up next to him for warmth, this was one of Toboe's better days. Finding not just one, but two wolves was more than he'd ever dreamed of. He could finally be part of a pack! Well, not right now, there were only three of them. Toboe's dreams were kept alive though. If there were wolves roaming around like this, then there had to be more somewhere.

His tail was nearly wagging in excitement. In fact, it did start wagging. One of the rats bit down on it. The rat clamped down its tiny jaws. Toboe made a high pitched yelping noise that he was pretty embarrassed to make in front of other wolves.

"Ow, ow, ow," he whined, and started to thrash around on the dirty floor. If he hadn't been so frazzled he would have been even more embarrassed. The empty warehouse they'd been staying at was obviously infested with rats, and riddled with garbage. At least it provided adequate shelter from the cold and snow.

The pudgy brown wolf Hige made his way over and scattered the rats. He didn't even have to growl or anything. The rats just ran away from Hige the second they saw him. Toboe sighed and sat up against the wall, his checks red from both the cold and his embarrassment.

"You've got to show those things who's boss" Hige said as he puffed out his chest. He grinned and said, "But I guess they aren't scared of you, since you're just a pup."

"I am not," Toboe said, a little louder then he would have liked. He frowned and puffed out his cheeks, which he was sure made him look even more like a pup.

Hige yawned, still with a smile on his face. "It's ok," he said casually. "You should enjoy it after all. You're only a pup once."

Toboe groaned.

He started laughing. "But I'd try not to spend all my pup years getting attacked by rats."

Hige turned to Kiba, still smiling and laughing. "Hey man, did you know that the best hot dog recipes have rats in them?"

Now Toboe was thankful for the food he got at the orphanage. Meager as the portions sometimes were, he never had to eat rat meat. He didn't think.

Kiba, Hige's traveling partner, had been badly injured by humans. Hige assured Toboe that Kiba was tough and that he'd be alright. Sure enough, the white wolf was up on his feet pacing around the room. His white coat was muddled with blood and dirt. The smell of blood, and the thought of a human attack scared Toboe half to death, but he tried not to let it show. Everyone else was being brave. The least he could do was try and keep his composure. Toboe wondered if Kiba would be alright. Sure he was walking around with an angry expression on his face, but Toboe hadn't even seen someone with injuries this bad before. He tried to reassure himself. It wasn't like he went out often and saw other wolves getting injured. For all he knew, this could be a normal situation.

The smallish brown wolf took a deep breath. As he exhaled, the air somehow got caught in his throat. Hige must have sensed Toboe's nervousness. He nudged him on the back and smiled.

"Don't worry," he said in a serious voice, as he looked over at Kiba. "He's fine, really. Even he wouldn't be walking around like that if he wasn't. Kiba's just mad because he really wants to go out and search for Paradise, but the scent he's been following is gone."

Toboe jumped up and gasped. Hige looked at him and laughed, probably surprised by his sudden movement. Toboe had meant to ask if the two of them knew about the place. The second he saw them he wanted to, but he quickly became distracted by Kiba's injuries. Paradise! He was grinning at the thought of it. If Kiba was searching for it, then that meant it had to exist somewhere. At the very least there had to be more wolves. Granny had told him all those stories of the place but that could also mean there were more people and wolves that knew about it. Maybe, together, they could find it.

Kiba was impatiently shifting around the room when Toboe made his way over to him. The smell of blood got caught in his throat as he opened his mouth. His excitement was dispirited by the sight of Kiba's wounds. Would he too have to go out and fight off Paradise? The kids at the orphanage warned him that wolves were treated unfairly. Granny's stories had always seemed a little idealistic; however, it never bothered him before. There was just something wrong with all of this. Toboe couldn't think about it all right at the moment. He did feel a sense of dread.

The close up sight of the white wolf's wounds and hidden away pain made Toboe even more nervous and squeamish, but for fear of being called a pup again he decided against commenting about that.

"Um…well," Toboe began uncertainly, "Is everything alright?"

He groaned inwardly. Of course everything wasn't okay. Why was he even asking that?

Kiba responded quickly "Fine, I suppose." He stopped pacing and let out a deep and defeated sigh. "But we've lost the trail. We'll have to start looking somewhere else."

Hige ran over with alarm in his eyes. "Kiba," he whined. "I thought we were going to stay here longer."

Kiba sighed again, only this time he sounded much more irritated. Toboe thought that was a step up from depression.

"No," he said simply. Moments later he added "We've been here long enough and we still haven't found anything. Staying here isn't doing us any good."

"But they have hotdogs," Hige protested.

"I'm sure they have hotdogs in other places," Kiba's usual serious tone intermingled with disgust.

"What if they don't? What if we go somewhere and we can't find any? And what about all the small and easily catchable prey?" Hige asked with a dramatic tone. He glanced over at the hole where the rats had all burrowed into. "Or the old man who gives me free meat? I'm sure you could work for him too. Couldn't we just live here for a little longer?" Hige tilted his head to the side and smiled. He must really want to stay here in town.

Kiba shook his head. "No. We shouldn't rely on humans. We need to leave as soon as possible. If the flower smell isn't here, then we shouldn't be here either."

Toboe nervously scratched his ear. Was he relying too much on humans? He'd always thought it was okay to be around humans. He would never hurt them, and they'd never hurt him. Kiba was probably just upset. Humans and wolves could be friends.

"I think… that you're wrong," Toboe felt his ears involuntarily droop. "Humans and wolves can be friends!"

-Kiba-

* * *

Kiba had barely heard what Toboe had said. His wounds were stinging and his senses felt dulled. Paradise had seemed so close before and now it had to be out of reach. He and Hige hadn't gotten much of a chance to search. The terrible humans with their suits of armor had been too much for the two of them. Well, not Kiba. He could have taken them alone, but Hige would have certainly been killed if they'd stayed any longer. The humans had called for reinforcements. While Kiba's sense of smell wasn't as strong as Hige's, he could still smell the stench of the metal humans all over the city.

So it really wasn't Kiba's wounds that hurt, it was his pride. Sure he'd lost a fight to another wolf and that was terrible in its own right, but having to run away from a pack of humans was pitiful. Humans seemed more and more like a plague on Kiba's life with each passing day. He had to get this rat's nest and he had to get out of this city. Hige seemed like he wanted to go with Kiba, however, when Kiba spoke of leaving, Hige became reluctant and tried to back pedal out of his decision.

Now it looked like Toboe wanted to stay in the city. He wanted to stay in the city and he wanted to stay near humans. Kiba felt himself growl though he hadn't really meant to; it wasn't this pup's fault that he liked humans. How could Toboe possibly know how terrible humans really could be?

"He probably lived a house as a dog," a thought that disgusted Kiba. Hige was no better. While the pudgy wolf had said he didn't remember anything from his past, he still lived with in the present with a human. That grey wolf that had attacked Kiba earlier also disgusted him. How could a wolf possibly have the gull to attack him when he considered humans to be part of his pack? Kiba had traveled to different cities and lands though out his time, but he'd never met so many wolves in one place that enjoyed being around humans.

The first thing Kiba remembered doing was suffering, and it had been suffering at the hands of humans. His eyes blazed with anger and his mouth curled into a snarl. His teeth were sharp and still stained with the blood of the humans he'd killed. He was frustrated, tired, and saddened all at the same time. To let what happened to those other wolves happen to him would be a fate worse than death. Even if it killed him, even if Kiba had to kill a thousand humans to find it, Kiba would find Paradise. He'd do it by himself if he had to.

Kiba padded towards the small hole in the wall which he'd used as his entrance. Hige had covered the hole with garbage and moss after they were inside to make it seem as inconspicuous as possible.

As Kiba began digging at the small hole, Hige came rushing over towards him.

"Kiba," Hige protested "Even if Paradise was in the next town over we can't just leave now." His eyes were filled with anxiousness and alarm."The nobles would kill us before we could make it down the street."

Kiba had never heard of a 'noble' before. He came to the realization those had to be the metal clad humans that attacked him before. He generally kept his head down during his rare treks into the city. He was usually able to avoid humans entirely as he made his way through his quest. Freeze City had been different; not only because of the bitter cold and snow that seemed to blanket it. There was something wrong that Kiba couldn't quite place. Most of the humans acted normally for the most part, but this town also seemed to be infested with the metal clad 'nobles' that had attacked Kiba and Hige earlier.

His eyes were practically cloudy with anger. Something strange had drawn Kiba to this city but it seemed as though he was simply walking towards his death. Hige was right, though Kiba hated to admit it, Freeze City was crawling with nobles and even he doubted he'd be able to take all of them out alone.

Toboe had appeared beside Hige . Hige had slipped back into his usual carefree demeanor, as if everything could be solved by smiling and keeping an upbeat attitude. Toboe looked far more worried and Kiba was almost positive he was shaking. The smallish wolf was muttering something, though Kiba wasn't sure what it was. He turned to listen to Toboe more clearly and to respond. The talk of humans being nice made him sick. Kiba was aware others were entitled to their own opinions. The other two wolves opinions sickened him to the core. He still wasn't sure what he was going to say, but he opened his mouth and sighed. There was a loud crash behind him where the hole was. Kiba turned around and was suddenly face to face with the grey wolf that had attacked him earlier. Kiba's eyes widened and his back arched. He and the grey wolf were in the air in an instant, biting and clawing at each other with terrible ferocity. Kiba was bleeding and in pain but he wasn't going to lose a second time. The grey wolf was bleeding too (though Kiba hadn't even wounded him yet.) It was strange, the grey wolf's movements were dulled (though Kiba wasn't complaining.)

Kiba didn't know how he'd been tracked down or why the grey wolf was so relentless. But he knew that this time, running away wasn't an option, Kiba would win the fight or die trying.

* * *

Hello, and thank you for reading this fan fiction! (Note, I don't own any of the characters or intend to profit on them in any way, this is a Wolf's Rain fan fiction. Support the anime and manga anyway you can!)

Kiba and Tsume are going to fight in the next chapter. It's a shame that all the wolves (minus Blue) are together and the first thing they do is start to fight. But the next chapter is going to be intense! I've got big plans so stay tuned!

-Thank you for reading! Please comment and subscribe (it's all very much appreciated!)

(This chapter is kind of rushed. Thanksgiving and school got in the way. Sorry. Next time I swear It'll be better)

Happy early Thanksgiving!


	9. Wolfs Rain Chapter 9 - Paradise Can Wait

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 9 – Paradise can Wait**

-Kiba-

Outside the warehouse of the warehouse, it was eerily calm. The snow had gotten thicker and heavier; so much so that any animal or human who set out in it would be lost if they weren't careful. The wind howled, observing the loud and energetic voices of the city folk, so the only sounds that could be heard in the warehouse were the frantic screeching of the rats and the angry growls of the wolves.

To a passerby, the abandoned warehouse where the wolves clashed probably seemed like it always did. Humans always ignored things that didn't concern them. They were selfish creatures, however, right now that worked in all of the Wolves favor. The abandoned warehouse and even the city it was located in had turned into a place for fate and destiny to take their places. Though none of the wolves seemed inherently superstitious, even Kiba who was, in fact, chasing what might only be a legend, they could all feel something powerful and auspicious growing in the city.

If Kiba had a moment to think about these things he might have found them odd, and maybe even a little exciting. He didn't have the time though. All of his energy and focus were locked on the grey wolf he was fighting. Kiba had only met the other wolf twice and he was already sure he hated him. He was also sure that the feeling was mutual. The grey wolf had tracked him down through the filth and grime of the city and he seemed determined to kill Kiba. Still, with his wounds, Kiba was sure the grey wolf would have the upper hand. Much to his surprise and relief, the grey wolf was also wounded; Kiba assumed that he'd gotten in another fight before he came to attack him. The grey wolf seemed prone to anger and violence but in a way, Kiba was happy that they'd found each other. He too was excited to fight.

The two wolves snarled at each other with such loud snarls that it seemed to cause the whole building to shake. Kiba was assessing his opponent and he could tell that the grey wolf was doing the same. It might have been a while since Kiba had really been in a fight but he certainly didn't want to lose. Both Hige and Toboe respected him; it would be embarrassing to lose. His instincts screamed in excitement. Kiba knew he had to win.

Both wolves had long forgotten about the distractions around them. Hige and Toboe were shouting, trying to get stop the fighting, but both Kiba and the grey wolf ignored them.

The fighting was fierce and while it only lasted minutes it felt as if hours were going by. Kiba couldn't tell if the blood that covered him was completely from his wounds or not.

Nothing could be accomplished by simply sizing his opponent up. Kiba knew he had to act fast.

Kiba sprung into the air suddenly. He aimed his sharp fangs at the grey wolf's neck. The grey wolf jumped up fast and slashed Kiba with the same metal object he'd attacked him with before.

The second the grey wolf landed he turned his head to face Kiba. The amount of pain that both wolves were in was being ignored. The only thing they cared about now was fighting each other.

The grey wolf crouched down low and ran towards Kiba. He tackled, butting heads with him, and the two of them fell on the ground. They were scratching and biting at each other in a terrible frenzy. The grey wolf scratched Kibas flank with his sharp metal object. The other wolf had a scar on his face and an x shaped scar on his chest, but Kiba grazed his face with his fangs. The other wolf didn't flinch though; he attacked Kiba's neck in a fluid motion. Kiba narrowly moved out the way and tore into the grey wolf's shoulder.

Kiba didn't know much about knives or human weaponry in general but the grey wolf was obviously skilled with a knife. Kiba also knew that he'd seen the grey wolf hanging around with humans. All the wolves that he'd encounter seemed to have some sort of attachment towards humans. Kiba didn't have time to truly process his feelings; he just knew that being around humans and wolves that were part of human packs made him sick.

Whatever victory Kiba felt by dodging the grey wolfs latest metal onslaught and tearing into his shoulder was quickly marred by pain. The grey wolf kicked Kiba in the stomach. It wouldn't have normally hurt that much, but living on meager meals of rats and hotdogs wasn't enough to truly sustain Kiba's ravenous wolf appetite.

The blow hurt and Kiba gagged but he was relatively alright. However, the grey wolf was already attacking again. He headbutted Kiba again and slashed at him with his knife. The knife might have cut Kiba but he wasn't sure if it did or not. The adrenaline from the fight was too much. The only thoughts in his mind were 'victory' and 'kill.'

They were on the ground again, thrashing and biting at each other. A single image flashed through Kiba's mind. He was in the abandoned train car wolfing down stolen food and doing what eventually got him in trouble with the grey wolf and his human pack in the first place. He'd felt weak and humiliated after the first fight. He couldn't fight back the first time; he had been too tired and hungry. This time was going to be different. In the back of his mind, he vowed that things would be different.

This time, only one of them would be getting off that floor. This had to end and Kiba had to win. His instincts told him to go for the kill. His pride was damaged and he knew that if he didn't kill the grey wolf he would be killed himself.

The grey wolf was trying to pin him down. Kiba was agile and with all the blood coating both of their pelts, they were both pretty slippery. It was easy for Kiba to stand up and position himself to make his killing blow. Of course, it didn't matter now. The grey wolf was standing up now too and they were both backs were they started.

Suddenly, Kiba heard Toboe howl. All wolves stared at him with alarm. Toboe sounded as if he was in pain and he hadn't even been part of the fight. Kiba felt guilty. It was irrational but he had to wonder if he had accidentally hurt Toboe or if somehow the grey wolf had wounded him. Anxiety and rage mixed around in his head until he could finally understand what had to be wrong.

The scent of beautiful smelling flowers filled Kiba's nostrils. It overpowered the scent of blood in the air and the terrible scent of the town. Then a shrill sound came into Kiba's mind. The noise was foreign and overpoweringly loud. The rest of the wolves started to howl in pain but all of their voices seemed like nothing compared to the noise that emanated from somewhere in Freeze City.

* * *

Hello and thank you for reading my fanfiction (none of the characters or anything belong to me)! If you liked it (or even if you didn't) please try and support the original creators! Subscriptions and feedback are also very much appreciated.

So this chapter is way shorter then it was supposed to be... I'm sorry about that! I started working extra Christmas hours at my job and I have like no time anymore. The next chapter is (hopefully) going to be much longer! Kiba and Tsume are fighting again ( think I enjoy them fighting each other more then I should) but the next chapter will (hopefully) be even more intense!


	10. Wolfs Rain Chapter 10- Flower Maiden

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 10 – The Wolf Girl and The Flower Maiden**

 **-Cheza-**

 **\- Minutes before Chapter 9 -**

"This one wonders…. Will the wolves be alright in the snow?"

Cheza hummed in anticipation as she tried to get some answers out of Cher. Though the glasses wearing scientist hardly ever answered any of her questions, she still felt the need to ask.

The moon wasn't in the sky today; the absence of it always made Cheza feel a bit weak. The snow danced around in the sky, covering everything and obscuring the dim stars. The only real source of light came from the heated torchlights on the streets. Fire frightened Cheza in general. It was wild and unpredictable. Though Cheza had never been burned before, she knew that flowers were highly flammable. None of the Nobles or scientists had ever taken the time to truly explain what being a flower maiden even meant. She hoped that once she found the wolves they would tell her more about herself.

Maybe it was the fire or the lack of the moon but something felt terribly wrong in Freeze City today.

Cher always managed to answer Cheza's questions and concerns indirectly. She'd give some noncommittal comment or evade the question in its entirety. Cheza didn't like that. Cher often stayed in Cheza's room. She was silent most times, sitting on the edge of Cheza's bed and focusing on her paperwork and research. Cher emanated an icy aura that was cooler than any of the snow outside. Despite that, Cheza knew that Cher was a kind person. When something truly wrong did seem like it was happening, Cher managed to show moderate concern. She'd taken to bushing Cheza's hair, helping her dress, bathe and something even touching her affectionately for almost no reason.

Cheza had decided to dress differently today. She usually wore light feminine dresses even in the cold weather. Tonight would be the night she would make her escape, however. The temperature did affect her in ways she still didn't completely understand. Early in the morning, after she had taken a bath, Cheza put on a sheer light pink dress. She dug around in her armoire until she found a cotton hooded tunic that was stained an intense red. There were brown leather boots in the closet as well but she neglected them. Cheza didn't like the thought of wearing shoes ever; she didn't see the need to wear shoes on the coldest of occasions. Even if the rest of her body was covered she wanted at least one way to connect with the earth. She always felt more assured by the feel of gravel or dirt under her feet.

She spun around in her room, still not used to the weight of her acquired tunic. She didn't mind the warmth it provided her but the extra weight was a bit uncomfortable.

Cheza tipped toed back into her room. She didn't want to draw any extra attention to herself. Aside from Cher, the rest of Cheza's attendants acted strangely around Cheza. She didn't want to give them any more reason to dislike her. Human emotions were a mystery to her for the most part. She was friendly to people but sometimes they didn't want to be friends with her. And no matter how hard Cheza tried, she couldn't seem to break through Cher's icy barrier.

Cher came into Cheza's room and the two talked for a while, or to put it more realistically, Cheza talked and Cher sort of listened. Cheza tried to speak to Cher like she usually did but she didn't want to give away hint that she would be sneaking out of her room later. It was technically lying so she didn't feel too happy about doing it. When it came to be time for Cher to go, Cheza laid down in her chair like she usually did. She did feel a little tired but that didn't matter right now. Tonight was the night that she would put her plan into action. She would seek out the wolves and help them find Paradise.

As Cheza poked her head out the door she felt the same sense of dread she'd felt before. She swallowed down a feeling that felt a lot probably guilt as she took of few tentative steps into the hallway. The walls and floor were made out of a cold and forbidding stone. There were only two torch lights, one at both ends of the hall, so Cheza kept one of her hands on the wall. Sometimes, when she concentrated, she could sense signs of life when she touched plants or focused on one part of an area. If she concentrated she might be able to sense if someone was guarding the hall or not.

Cheza still wasn't used to being on her own. Going out by herself was a new and exciting adventure for Cheza. She smiled to herself and was distracted from her task. Then she froze.

At the end of the hallway next to the steps was a man who must have just fallen asleep. She recognized him; he was supposed to be guarding her room. Cher would be angry at his incompetence but Cheza was thrilled. Something was finally working in her favor.

The flower maiden took her hand off the wall and began to creep past the man. She would easily be able to get outside without anyone noticing.

Just as quickly as soon as her hopes got up and her smile grew; her hopes were dashed.

Squatting down next to the sleeping man was a girl who seemed strangely like a wolf.

The wolf girl was crouched beside the man. She held sharp blades in her hands and a ferocious look in her eyes. She was dressed warmly, her dark brown hair tucked into her blue trench coat, but she didn't look cold at all. In fact, it looked like she enjoyed it. Her skin was almost as dark as her hair and her eyes were a beautiful dark blue. She looked a little strange and exotic.

Cheza jumped back immediately. She hadn't expected to see any people on her trip. She had unfortunately not thought this far ahead; now she was petrified. There was something amazing about meeting new people but Cheza was far too nervous to be amazed. Planning ahead had never been her specialty. Her plan had simply been to get outside and find the wolves. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't the best idea. It was vague, she hadn't ironed out any of the details, but it seemed like an alright a little while ago. However, she knew that Cher wouldn't like her plan at all. When the scientist did talk to Cheza it was usually to say something about how 'irresponsible' she was or that she needed to be more 'realistic.' Cheza wasn't sure what those words meant exactly but they couldn't be good.

If only Cheza could find out more about the wolves by herself.

With that thought, Cheza tried to keep positive. The wolves were the reason she was doing any of this. She had to try her best.

The wolf girl and the flower maiden stared at each other. Cheza thought that she might be imagining the presence of a wolf near this girl but she had to ask her anyway. She opened her mouth to speak and felt the girl's cold metal blade against her neck.

Cheza gasped as she felt a bit of warm fluid dripping out of her neck. She'd always been told that her skin and her body were very fragile. It scared Cheza to feel what she knew was her important blood and energy leaving her body. It was only a minor flesh wound but her body trembled in fear. Still, she didn't outwardly show it. Cheza was used to being in pain or feeling strong emotions and trying her best to keep them bottled down. She was used to being happy and positive, for her own sake and for the sake of those who depended on her. So Cheza did something that she often did it times of crisis. When there was nothing else that could be done and when she was finished panicking and crying she would try to calm down. She decided that know, she had to smile. Smiling was any easy way to make someone else smile after all.

The wolf girl glared in return, meeting Cheza's happiness and hope with her own hostility. The blade was still held up to her neck but Cheza decided to speak anyway.

"Hello," Cheza said in her cheerful voice as if nothing had happened. And as far as Cheza knew nothing had happened. The man beside them was sleeping during his duty as a guard. Surely Cher and the other scientists would be angry if the found out. Perhaps the wolf girl with her blade pressed against Cheza's neck was another scientist. Though Cheza had never met her before, that didn't matter to her. The Nobles were hiring new people every day to aid them in their quest. All of this was probably just a misunderstanding. Cheza was going to play an important part in saving humanity and maybe so was the girl next to her.

The wolf girl growled at her with narrowed eyes and a sort of ferocity that made Cheza sure she was face to face with a wolf.

The wolf girl didn't say hello in return. Instead, she said in a low voice.

"You saw nothing. If you scream," she paused, letting her words sink in. "I'll kill you."

Well firstly, as Cheza had thought before, there wasn't anything too see. She did worry about the 'killing' part. Cheza didn't know much about what it meant to kill or death in general. What she did know was that it was a permanent thing that could not be undone. Death was the only thing that would stop her from completing her quest.

This new realization made her heart beat faster. Her eyes widened and she was tempted to run in the other direction back to her room. But that wouldn't do! Cheza had to keep going and deep down in her heart, she knew that the wolf girl wouldn't kill her. Maybe she wasn't exactly a wolf and maybe she was a little on the angry side but she didn't look like she wanted to kill Cheza. Or at least that was what she hoped.

Cheza could see that the wolf girl was stuffing something into her coat pocket as she spoke. Her teeth looked just as sharp as a wolf and there wasn't a doubt in Cheza's mind that she wouldn't kill her if she wasn't careful. While Cheza wasn't used to being met with hostility she knew that it was somewhat warranted. She must have simply scared the wolf girl; after all, she was sneaking around in the halls as silently as she could.

She'd heard stories of the suffering of both humans and wolves. She knew how much pain the world and all the creatures within it were in. The wolf girl was a prime example of this; she'd threatened to kill simply because she was scared. Cheza knew that it was her destiny to stop the suffering. So, if a little of her blood had to be shed to accomplish peace, if a girl was angry at her and needed an outlet to release that anger, then so be it.

Droplets of her blood dripped onto the floor as she spoke; the blood was a mixture of green, red, and white. It looked more like a strange greenish- pinkish beverage than anything else. Cheza winced in pain; this was the first time she'd ever seen herself bleed. She'd been told that her body wasn't like a normal human, but it seemed a little hard to believe until now. Her strange blood was enough to prove that she was destined to do something that most humans couldn't.

"It's alright," Cheza whispered, to the wolf girl and partially to herself, "this one knows how much pain that you are in."

For a moment the wolf girls eyes widened and Cheza swore she could look into her soul; it was unclouded by sadness and hate. She was a young scared woman but at the same time, she was a young scared wolf. Perhaps, Cheza hoped, her hope and love would reach her. They stared at each other; the wolf girls' gaze softening. Cheza could see in the corner of her eye and feel the metal blade leaving her neck. Perhaps she had managed to reach her after all.

"This one is sorry," Cheza continued, feeling the need to apologize, "however, soon your pain will be gone. This one will lead you and the other wolves to Paradise."

The wolf girls back stiffened and her eyes somehow widened even larger than they were before.

Her teeth were gritted and her voice was hoarse as she spoke. She looked like she had been in a trance before and now she had snapped out of it. Anger refilled her face.

"Other…wolves," the wolf girl asked in her same angry low voice? That… what nonsense are you spouting out? That cannot be possible. Wolves are my enemy! They murdered my family and I will murder all of them."

Her declaration of violence and murder caused Cheza to take an involuntary step backward. Cheza watched as the wolf girls breathing quickened and her mouth twisted into a grimace. She looked as if Cheza had just stabbed her in the back and left her to die on the street.

"I am Not a wolf," she growled. Her facial features and voice seemed to beg otherwise. When she was angry she looked even more wolfish. That didn't seem to matter to her though. She was unequivocally denying being anything like a wolf. But there was definitely something wolfish about this girl, Cheza was sure about it.

And why not, Cheza wondered, she was a girl with the power of the Lunar Flowers running through her veins; why couldn't there be a girl of wolfish origins?

Cheza wanted to reach out and comfort the wolf girl. Surely it had to be a confusing time for her. Cher and the others had barely explained what being a flower maiden meant. Who knows how little this girl knew of her origins.

But hearing the wolf girl say that wolves had killed her family and now she was going to kill all of them sent ice water down Cheza's veins. How could that be possible? There was hardly any wolf left, that's what the scientists had told her, Cheza had spent her whole life searching for them. And even if there were wolves somewhere they would be loving and peaceful. It had been humans who had scared them all away and forced them to hide in the far corners of the earth. That was why the nobles wanted her to find them. So that the humans could apologize for their wrongdoings and they could all live in peace together.

"That cannot be true," Cheza said quickly, "wolves and humans are supposed to live in harmony.

The wolf girl shouted "that will never be true! Not as long as I draw breath. Wolves have caused my family and me nothing but pain and suffering. I will kill them all."

The hatred in the air seemed almost palpable.

"No," Cheza argued "We're all supposed to live in peace together. And you," she said softly, "something terrible must have happened to you for you to say what you are saying. But you are a wolf. This one is sure of it."

The flower maiden reached out to the wolf girl. She grabbed her hands suddenly, causing the wolf girls blade to fall on the ground with a clank. Surely, Cheza could help this person. All her life she'd been tasked with helping humanity and wolves come together. It wasn't a task she took lightly. While it wasn't a burden either, the thought of saving people constantly lingered in the back of her mind. She could see the pain and anguish on the wolf girl's face. It wasn't like anything Cheza had ever seen before. In that moment she knew she had to do everything she could to help her.

Meeting somehow who hated wolves was a shock to Cheza though. Cher had warned her that people who hated and longed for violence existed; in Cheza's mind, it didn't seem true. She didn't want to see her or anyone else suffering or hating each other.

The wolf girl pulled away from Cheza quickly. There was a blur of movement as she grabbed her blade from the floor and started to run. Within seconds Cheza was chasing after her. Her cloak felt strangely heavy as she ran and tried to yell for the wolf girl to stop. The wolf girl was already out of the inn when Cheza shoved the large wooden door out of the way so she could continue running. The sudden cold almost sent her into shock. The snow crunched loudly under her feet. It was only now that Cheza realized what a terrible idea it was to be barefoot. It was far too late to go back and put on her boots though. Cheza troughed through the snow filled city as quick as she could. Though she very much wanted to stop and take in all the sights she had missed before in her carriage.

People were dancing and singing on a street corner. There were children holding tightly onto their mother and fathers hands; a sight that made her a bit melancholy for some reason. Mostly everyone was dressed in brown tattered clothes. The people in this city, what they wore and how they acted, were so much different from the people in the capital.

Cheza d found herself stopping and trying to get a good look at the people as they walked by. It was too late when she realized that she had lost the wolf girl. Cheza resigned herself that she was to slow to catch the wolf girl anyway. She tried to stay on the positive though; even though she had been to slow before, now that she was out in the city by herself, she would have a chance to catch her next time.

Something strange happened. Cheza doubled over in pain and felt her greenish-pink blood dripping out of her mouth. She felt nauseated and numb. Before she even knew what was happening she heard herself screaming. The world blurred into a mixture of colors. The moon hung bizarrely over her head shone through in a bright crimson red. The stars were blinding and looked as if they would burst any second. A somewhat familiar flowery scent filled her nostrils. Then another familiar thing happened to Cheza; standing beside her was the white wolf from her dreams. Only now, just like Cheza, he was bleeding badly. She tried to reach out and touch him but her body felt too numb to move. They stared at each other, Cheza trying to give him some comfort any way she could.

Cheza could still feel herself screaming but she couldn't hear a thing herself. Four more wolves appeared by the white wolf's side; one grey, one light brown and one dark brown. They too were bleeding badly and had wounds all over their bodies. She could practically feel their pain. The phantom pain hurt badly for a moment and then Cheza felt numb again. Her shrill scream ripped through her throat but she couldn't hear it herself. Cheza's positivity drained away into the snow along with her blood and tears.

She felt something grab onto the back of her neck for a second and then feeling stopped registering again. All that was going on around her still blurred together in a strange vortex of light and darkness; so that the only thing she could make out was the moon, the wolves, and the falling snow. Normally Cheza would be happy to have any sort of dream about wolves. But it felt too vivid and terrible to mean anything remotely good. Something truly horrendous was happening to her and the wolves and she was powerless to stop it. Going out without informing anyone had been a big mistake.

Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction! I don't own any of the characters or anything. Go and support the original anime and manga!

This is a huge Cheza chapter (so I hope you like Cheza somewhat at least). I'm really trying to get some character development for her in place. At first, she wasn't going to be that important a character in this fanfic but she hardly has any screen time in the anime so I figured she could have a little more of the spotlight now. The same goes for Blue and Cher. They just don't get enough screen time. Honestly though, in my opinion, the anime was too short, to begin with. (But I guess I wouldn't be writing this fanfic if I didn't feel that way.)

While I'm pretty sure that Blue is 18+ ( as I feel the rest of the characters are as well) (except for Toboe who is probably around 14- 16 ) but I'm pretty bad with exact ages but 'Wolf Girl' just sounded better than 'Wolf Woman' to me.

I appreciate all comments and criticisms! Please comment and subscribe if you liked this! And since I won't be uploading a chapter until after Christmas and the New Year…

Happy Holidays to everyone!


	11. Wolf's Rain Chapter 11 Fragrant Flowers

**_Wolfs Rain Chapter 11 - Fragrance of Flowers_**

 ** _-Tsume-_**

It wasn't just the earsplitting noise that irritated Tsume; it was also the way everyone, including himself, was reacting to it. He felt like he was going out of mind. First, all these weird wolves were hanging around in his territory. Then there was that annoying bussing in his ears and that strange floral scent in his nostrils. Every bone in his body ached. He felt numb, somehow, at the same time. It was a strange feeling, and from the way it looked, all the other wolves felt the same. They all laid on the ground, together in the old abandoned warehouse that Tsume and his human pack sometimes stored things in.

Everything had been perfectly fine before all these other wolves started showing up.

Well, maybe not perfect by any means, but at the very least they were how Tsume wanted them to be. Hardly any Nobles came around and the local authorities turned a blind eye to nearly all the crime that went on in this city. You could set someone on fire in the middle of the street and they'd still probably be too drunk to notice. Humans were stupid and Tsume loved to take advantage of that fact. If he played his cards right and waited a few years, he could have a Noble free and food rich territory. He could have a Paradise of his own. Then, maybe, his old pack would finally think that all the things he had been worth it. That he meant something.

He took the pain from his wounds easily and silently; he was used to it. His old injuries and his new ones mingled together to create something far more painful than they were before. He ground his teeth and started to stand up. He couldn't stand to be in this place with these wolves for another second. He'd spend enough time with these wolves on the grungy floor. Their presence and all the trouble they had caused him was annoying enough as it was. He was leaving. Unfortunately, his body had other plans.

Tsume had to look around to make sure; he felt like he was on fire and he had to make certain that wasn't the case.

The other wolves must have felt the same things he did, but it was only the white wolf who showed any signs of moving. Tsume struggled to his feet at the same time that the white wolf did. They both sprang towards the door- instinct taking over momentarily – they were in each other's faces growling. The two of them stood there for a moment, staring at each other.

Tsume took a fighting stance, ready for another standoff when he heard something else in the corner of his mind.

"No, no, no," the smallish brown wolf shouted from the top of his lungs.

"You guys can't start fighting again. You're both already hurt enough as it is!"

The pudgy brown wolf ran over to the smaller one's side. "Yeah," he croaked, "why can't we all just be friends? We're all wolves after all."

None of this came as any shock to Tsume. Listening to deluded wolves spout their buddy-buddy nonsense did sicken him. He expected it from these wolves; after all, they were people's pets.

The fact that these wolves were deluded into thinking anything could be accomplished without a little bloodshed was sickening. It was old news that these two brown wolves lived as pet dogs. Nothing happened in this city that Tsume didn't know about. He prided himself on that fact and made sure to keep tabs on any wolf or noble who came into the city unannounced. Sooner or later, he knew that the Nobles would come and try to kill all of them. One of the two other wolves that had lived here for so long would slip up.

Hige and Toboe were annoying but harmless by themselves. Toboe spent most of his time stashed away in the human orphanage. He was far too pup like to be a problem. However, Tsume though; one day, Toboe would end up killing one of the kids or that old lady that lived there. Hige was far too obsessed with food and woman to be too much of a problem. Nobles had been coming into the City more frequently. Tsume had heard that all their activity had to do with someone called a 'Flower Maiden,' but he wasn't sure exactly who that was. That was another problem. Now there was something going on that Tsume didn't know all the details about.

He did know that it would only take one wrong move for everything he'd worked so hard for to go up in flames. Hige and Toboe were just too irritating pet wolves that didn't fit into his plans.

One thing was for sure though; the white wolf Kiba, however, certainly wasn't anyone's pet.

Ever sense Kiba had stepped into town; he had been nothing but trouble. And for some reason, Tsume just didn't like him. Something had to be done and right now the only viable option seemed to finish what he started. Tsume figured it would be better to just kill all the other wolves and carry on with the rest of his plans.

The weird flower smell from before still hung in the air. Tsume wanted to be disgusted but he found the smell to be somehow calming. Did this have anything to do with the flower maiden and this Paradise place that he kept hearing about in town? Things were starting to get strange and he didn't like it. He couldn't ignore the gossip he had heard before around town. Humans always told stories full of nonsense but it was getting worse. This whole town and everyone in it was getting on Tsume's last nerves. Something had to be done, by Tsume's logic, Kiba was the problem.

Tsume wanted to fight Kiba but there was something stopping him from doing so. It wasn't his wounds, he'd felt much worse before and still managed to fight. It was the flower smell and the voice that, while quieter now, was ringing in his ears. The noise and fragrance lingered in the air; now they seemed so real and vivid that Tsume was forced to stop what he was doing and listen. All the other wolves did the same. Their eyes were all fixed on the same thing- the moon. They couldn't see it, it was concealed behind the walls and the ceiling of the warehouse, but they knew where it was and for some reason, they were drawn to it. Their ears tensed at the sound of the mysterious voice. It was the same pitch and volume as the scream was. It was a beautiful and calming voice, though Tsume hated to admit.

The voice was calm and melodious, "Your pain is also this one's pain!"

"We can help each other. We can find Paradise together!"

Pain and desperation filled the voice. She spoke so softly that Tsume had to strain to hear.

"This one needs your help now. This one… is in pain."

Tsume wanted to help her. He needed to. Some emotion he'd never felt before suddenly overtook him. He was angry. He was pissed. Paradise, what was it exactly? He kept hearing about it but it was only a word that caused pain and misfortune. He wanted to find whoever was hurting her and kill them. He could tell that she was suffering; whoever was making her suffer would suffer a thousand times then she was. Tsume could feel the strength and newly found emotions coursing through his body.

He felt powerful and yet, at the same time, he felt weak. He'd only felt this way before once. It was the feeling of needing to protect something. To fight for what he loved. It was a feeling he had felt before when he still had his pack. Before they had banished him and left him to wander in the world of humans.

Tsume didn't want to feel love again. He didn't need to anyway. These feeling would only cause him more pain down the road. That was why he stayed around humans. He didn't need to form bonds with them. He could just use them and eventually he could get what he wanted- without other wolves or anyone else that might want to hurt him.

He could hear Kiba, Hige, and Toboe yelling something at each other. They seemed frantic, yet, at the same time, they were full of hope; yet another feeling that Tsume had cast away. Within seconds they were running out of the room. Tsume found himself standing in the warehouse alone. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? To be alone…

He started running. He chased after them and before he knew it, he was right beside Kiba. They stared at each other again but neither said anything. It was how Tsume wanted things to be anyway. He didn't want to have to explain himself. Right now, even if he did, he wouldn't be able to anyway. The thought of not finding the source of the voice was painful. That was the only reason he was following Kiba and the others. He could use them to get what he wanted and then he would push them aside.

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! I hoped you enjoyed reading it! None of the characters belong to me or anything. This chapter was shorter than it as supposed to be, but the holidays got the best of me._

 _Tsume is my favorite character so there has to be at least one more than one chapter from his pov. I've always thought that even though Tsume seems harsh and cold to everyone he secretly wants to be friends. I'm also planning something... It's taking a long time for the plan to really get started but I think that'll really get intense in the next couple chapters (_ that's _the hope anyway."_

 _Your feedback is appreciated! Subscribe and comment, please!_


	12. Wolf's Rain Chapter 12 - A Cross Roads

**Wolf's Rain - Chapter 12**

 **– Toboe-**

Back at the orphanage, Toboe never had to worry about things like hunters, Flower Maidens, or other wolves. His life had been simple, maybe even a little boring. Yet he hadn't hated it. He got to sleep as long as he wanted, he played games with the human children, and he always got something to eat. Granny was always there to tell him a story if he wanted. She told him stories filled with adventure and excitement. Toboe had heard all of Granny's stories so many times he could recite them word for word.

As much as Toboe hated to admit it, the stories that used to leave him in awe had started to get boring too. He had grown tired of hiding his true self around Granny and the human children. He wanted to go on adventures with other wolves and rescue the Flower Maiden from Granny's stories. Though Toboe wanted to stay with Granny forever, he knew he couldn't. Fate wanted him and the other three wolves to be part of something great.

Despite Toboe's excitement in meeting other wolves, now he felt a sense of dread. The snow dampened his fur and the wind chilled his skin. He'd never been outside for this long and it was already starting to take a toll on his body. In Granny's stories, wolves were courageous and strong heroes that didn't let anything stop them from saving the day. Thinking about those stories, watching the wolves in front of him race ahead, and not letting the elements affect them in the slightest, Toboe felt pathetic.

Toboe was a wolf just like they were. He had heard the voice of the Flower Maiden calling out to him, asking him to rescue her. Toboe didn't know what, or how he would manage to rescue her, but he was going to follow the other wolves, and hopefully formulate some sort of plan. He could learn to be just as tough as they were.

Toboe admired the other wolves that ran ahead of him. He struggled to keep up. One day, Toboe wanted to be as strong and impressive as the wolves he'd just met. He wanted the determination of Kiba, the adaptability of Hige and the ferocity of the grey wolf.

Kiba and the grey wolf (Toboe didn't know his name) bounded effortlessly through the town. Hige stayed closer to Toboe (whether out of consideration or the fact that he was tired, Toboe wasn't sure.)

There was a sudden, ear piercing noise that Toboe had never heard before. He stopped and leaped backward away from the sound instinctively. Something small and metal pierced the ground beside him.

Toboe's eyes widened and his ears were ringing. All the confidence he had gathered vanished into thin air. His body trembled and he realized he was frozen in place.

Would he die? Would a hunter kill him before he got a chance to be one of the characters from Granny's stories?

The grey wolf's voice snapped him out of his panic. "Move!" he shouted as he physically pushed Toboe behind a nearby building. "Do you want to end up a rug on some human's floor, you runt?"

His words bit into Toboe even worse than the cold and snow soaking his pelt.

Weakly, Toboe began to protest.

"I'm not a ru-"

The grey wolf cut him off with a low growl. "Shut up and stay hidden. I don't have time to protect you."

Before Toboe had time to respond, the grey wolf ran off. Was he going to fight the hunters?

A lump grew in Toboe's throat. Horror filled his eyes. Even if all three other wolves fought the hunter, would they be ok? The hunters from Granny's stories terrified Toboe. There had even been horrible times when hunters had defeated the wolves. Would they all really be alright?

Toboe growled and took a step forward. He wanted to help them. He stopped and let out a defeated sigh. His shoulders slumped as he thought, 'I'd just be a burden to them if I tried to help.'

Peering from behind the safety of a few garbage cans, Toboe saw a terrible sight. There were at least ten humans ready to attack Toboe's newly found pack. They all had guns. The hunters from Toboe's stories had come to life.

 **-Tsume-**

Of course, his human pack would come at and stab him in the back. He smiled, he couldn't help it, the humans that had so blindly followed him until today decided now was the appropriate time to realize he wasn't human.

'Just think,' Tsume thought, 'I was going to let you all live.'

Not all of his human pack decided to come. Some of them probably came to their senses and were probably too frightened to come out. He pitied the humans that had been brave enough, or foolish enough to fight him. There was someone else among them, someone Tsume didn't recognize. He didn't care if some foolish old man had suddenly decided to join his human pack ranks. The stranger would die just the same.

Someone from Tsume's pack spoke up.

"Tsume!" they called. "If we'd known that you were a wolf, we'd have turned you into the Nobles ages ago."

It did strike him as slightly odd that people were only just now realizing that wolves were in the area. Tsume shrugged. He'd been a wolf for all this time and people were only now noticing.

The strange, older man glared at Tsume then aimed his gun right at Tsume's head. Tsume moved to the right, narrowly evading the bullet. He had to get it together. He was expecting the humans to betray him at some point. He was really just hoping he'd be able to betray them first.

Tsume wondered if he had seen the man before. He was much better with a gun than any of the people in Tsume's human pack. It occurred to Tsume that one of his men mentioned a new wolf hunter coming into town with his daughter. Tsume grimaced. More and more hunters were arriving, as were Nobles. They all came hoping to hunt and kill the last of the wolves. Few of them had any skills, so Tsume ignored his men when they told him about the hunters.

Tsume thought, 'What did it matter? None of the humans in this town, hunter or Nobles, will be able to kill me.'

Tsume preferred to use knives when he fought. The people in his human pack all had different weapons and fighting styles. They stole, scavenged, and did everything they could so that they were the strongest people on the streets. This older hunter who suddenly appeared was different. He didn't talk. None of his movements were unnecessary or flashy. He had a look of murder and hatred in his eyes, one that Tsume had only ever seen in himself.

The older hunter had a rifle slung across his back, a handgun at his waist and a shotgun slung over his shoulder. (Which he was currently shooting at Tsume.) The hunter was older but he wasn't an old man. He looked a bit haggard and he had bloodshot eyes with bags under them. His clothes were thick and cotton. He had so many pockets and small pouches tied to him, that even Tsume was curious about what was inside. He had been wearing a hat, but it had long since fallen off during the fight. From the way the man carried himself, and from the accuracy of his guns, Tsume knew he was an experienced hunter.

The rest of the humans that opposed him were at a disadvantage. Tsume knew all their strengths and weaknesses. He could have easily brought them all down by himself. He glanced to his left, where Kiba and Hige were. Maybe it was frostbite or adrenaline, but Tsume suddenly experienced a feeling of worry.

Would the other wolves be okay? What about the pup he'd shoved into the alleyway and told to hide? He wouldn't try to do anything stupid, would he?

Tsume brushed those thoughts away and shifted into a fighting stance.

"If you die, it won't be my fault," he said with a deep growl.

"Ditto," Kiba retorted.

-Kiba-

The number of humans surrounding Kiba wasn't the problem. He knew that even with all their assorted weapons, he could still beat them. The humans in the city were an annoyance, but they weren't Kiba's problem. He needed to get out of the city as soon as possible. The Flower Maiden needed help, and she needed to be rescued. These humans were simply obstacles in Kiba's way, and he intended to get past them as quickly as possible.

The novice hunters surrounded the wolves from all sides. Their eyes were filled with greed but their fighting stances were laced with nervousness. This would be an easy fight. Hige, however, looked very ill at ease. When Hige had told him about how much he disliked fighting, and especially fighting with humans, Kiba hadn't been convinced. The pudgy brown wolf held his ground but, even for all the good it was worth, he looked petrified.

Kiba cast an uneasy glance in Hige's direction and quickly decided to provide backup if he needed it.

At least Kiba knew he didn't have to worry about Tsume. He stood in a rather relaxed stance; his back towards a wall. His cold steel knife glinted even in the dark nearly moonless night. The grey wolf had told rather rudely that it was every wolf for themselves. Kiba hadn't minded that part -he was used to being by himself. Living in solidarity for most of his life had taught him to rely on his own skills. He was strong enough by himself and he'd devoted his life to his quest. Kiba knew he didn't have to worry, but in the back of his mind, he was. He'd had little contact with wolves in his life. Kiba disliked Tsume and Tsume probably disliked him but he still felt compelled to help him. They were all wolves; it was a simple fact, and a reason to help one another.

If it hadn't been for Kiba's desire to help the new pack of wolves he'd found in this city, he would have sprinted away to chase the Flower Maiden to the ends of the earth.

Blood was about to be spilled. The humans had been bickering amongst themselves for some time so when they finally did start there attack Kiba was ready.

One of the humans jabbed at him with a rather sharp pitchfork. Kiba sprang up into the air with ease. He was used to fighting humans. Assess the danger, get out of harm's way, and strike back. He'd learned basic fighting techniques during his travels.

The human with the pitchfork tried to stab Kiba while he was in the air. He twisted in the air and landing on the man's face. Kiba tore into the man's ear and landed safely on the ground. He lunged towards the human with the pitchfork and saw a blurry image come towards him. He moved to his red, dodging the unfamiliar object. It was a bullet. The man with the pitchfork fell to his knees – the man was dead.

Kiba was face to face with the older hunter. The hunter's cold brown eyes were filled with enough violence that, if they could, they would have killed Kiba. The older hunter had killed the hunter with the pitchfork! Kiba learned more every day about how cruel humans could be. The older hunter pointed his shotgun at Kiba. At his side, the hunter held machete. Kiba knew that if he got close to the hunter, he'd get stabbed. Kiba could tell this hunter had more experience than the other ones.

Kiba panicked for a moment. There were so many humans, their bodies and scents blurred together. It was a mess of violence and filth. Where was the gunman? He hadn't been paying enough attention to tell if the mob of hunters was carrying multiple weapons.

"You just shot Michael," a distressed human cried out.

Who is Michael? …Probably the human that'd just been shot. Kiba thought, his muscles tensing in case of another attack. It didn't matter who he was, he was a human but he did wonder if the humans had been so stupid as to shoot one of their own.

"He was in the way," another human answered back coldly. The man spoke again in his gruff voice.

"You're all in the way. You should all leave if you don't want to get killed." Humans were such cruel creatures.

Another voice chimed in "you told us you'd split the bounty if we helped you catch these wolves."

"I never said that," he fired a round at Kiba that he barely dodged," I said you come follow me if you want. I'm killing these wolves."

"But there isn't a bounty for dead ones."

"I don't care."

Kiba wasn't sure if he could dodge the bullets and the attacks from the lesser skilled hunters at the time. He dodged another one of the older hunters' bullets before glancing at Hige and Tsume. They were fighting some of the weaker humans. Tsume hadn't hesitated to rip a man holding a short swords throat in two. Hige scrambled around narrowly dodging sword slashes and bullets.

The older hunter was definitely the most skilled of all the hunters. It was clear by the way he carried himself and his readiness to take a life, any life, no matter what happened. The other hunters were humans that Tsume had hung around with. Kiba found it ironic that Tsume had chastised all the other wolves for being around humans when he was friendly with them. Kiba didn't like the fact that Hige and Toboe felt so comfortable around humans but he resented the fact that Tsume would imply Kiba wanted anything to do with humans.

Another human slashed at Kiba with his sword while the older hunter carefully aimed at Kiba with his shotgun. Kiba drew back towards the wall of one of the buildings to dodge. The bullet still managed to graze him. He shivered. Humans were obsessed with hunting wolves and here he was being attacked in the middle of the street. Things could only get worse from here. More humans would come and the three of them might not be able to win.

With that thought in mind, Kiba was thrilled when he heard Hige shout;

"We need to go right now! The flower scent is fading. We have to follow it before it disappears."

Kiba hadn't wanted to be the first one to suggest escape - not in front of Tsume anyway. He didn't like that wolf and he wasn't entirely sure why he'd decided to follow them but he didn't want to seem weak around Tsume.

Hige was distracted. Someone swung at him with an axe. Hige turned, his eyes widening and his body trembling. The man was about to swing his axe down onto Hige's head when Kiba tore into his arm. The man stumbled backward. He yowled and clutched his arm to his chest, or, what remanded of it. Kiba had bitten his arm in half. Blood spilled onto the ground.

Kiba spat blood out of his mouth as he landed on the ground.

"Let's go," he shouted. "Let's go find the flower maiden!"

Kiba ran quickly towards the outskirts of the city. He veered left and right, dodging the bullets advancing towards him. Hige scrambled to catch up with him. He heard the pudgy brown wolf muttering curses under his breath as his paws skidded across the ice.

Kiba could hear Tsume yelling something to Toboe. A second later, they caught up with Kiba and Hige. The next few minutes were tense, the humans from Tsume's pack stopped chasing them but the older hunter still followed.

Kiba knew he should end the older hunter's life and all the other hunters that'd chased him. He wanted too. However, it would take too long to kill all of them. He hated to run away from humans but he didn't have time. The flower maiden needed him.

So Kiba weaved through the alleys and rooftops as if his life depended on it. Tsume followed him with ease, matching his pace and, at times leading the way. Hige and Toboe were both drastically slower. However, probably due to the Flower Maidens call, they were able to keep up somewhat.

There was a grove of trees ahead. Kiba licked his lips; he was almost out of the city. The snow was practically coming down in sheets now. Visibility was so low that Kiba could barely see his paws in front of him. They all ran into the trees, Kiba silently rejoiced. He was so happy to see nature that wasn't mucked up by humans. The air was fresh and crisp. The wind had felt bitter before but now it felt cool and refreshing. The scent of lunar flowers persisted. He felt so close now; he knew that he'd be able to complete his quest now.

Still, though, Kiba could barely see. He knew it would be a problem and they would have to stop until the storm did. Suddenly, he heard a blood-curdling scream. It had been Toboe who had screamed but Tsume lay on the ground, blood dripping from his right hind leg.

"Get into the trees now! They're shooting at us" Tsume's voice was surprisingly calm despite everything. They all listened – bolting into the trees without a second thought. Kiba knew he wouldn't find Paradise easily but he didn't want other wolves to get hurt because of him.

_  
Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfic! None of these characters belong to me. Please support the orginal authors and creators.  
I appreciate any and all feedback. Comment and subscribe, please!  
Sorry though, this chapter is getting out a little late. FanFiction wasn't working for me and neither was my pc so I was scrambling around trying to fix things.

I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. Quent appeared and he's as wolf hating and violent as ever. The next chapter will be more about the wolves interacting with each other. It took 12 chapters but Kiba and the pack are finally out of this city and one step closer to the end of the story!


	13. Wolfs Rain Chapter 13: Four Strangers

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 13 - Four Strangers**

 **Blue**

When Blue woke up she felt groggy and weak. She didn't remember falling asleep at all. She was vaguely concerned. There wasn't any light where ever she was. Her eyes still hadn't adjusted to the darkness. She sat on a slightly warm wooden surface. The ground under Blue was moving, she could tell that much.

She was in a carriage.

'How did this happen?'

Blue struggled to sit up. She thought back, she hadn't anyone for a ride. She'd been looking for Quent, or as she called him, Pops. He wasn't here and she wouldn't have left the city without him. The last thing she could remember was talking to that mysterious flower woman. The woman had called herself the 'Flower Maiden.'

Blue had been walking before. She'd been desperate to get away from the woman. It had been such an odd encounter. Blue still felt a strange tingle in her head and her chest. These strange events made her heart race.

Something was definitely wrong here. Blue could tell that much. She was determined not to panic.

'Calm down,' Blue thought.

She breathed slowly, in and out. She closed her eyes and hummed. Blue wouldn't let her fear and anger get the best of her. Pops had taught her to be calm in stressful or dangerous situations.

Pops had taught her many things. He'd taught her basic survival skills; how to hunt, fish and build a fire. He'd also taught her things she'd been interested in learning about herself. He'd taught her things like basic combat and knife skills. She'd also learned how to kill. She didn't unless she absolutely needed too. Her strength gave her peace of mind. Blue learned to rely on herself. That your emotions might matter but staying calm was much more important. It was only because of Pops that she had become such a skilled and confident person.

Pops words of wisdom echoed in her mind.

'Only kill when you have to. Don't let your emotions rule you. Stay calm and figure out what your plan is.'

Pops has also told Blue;

'Don't kill senselessly. Don't become a wolf.'

It was ironic. The words had just popped into her mind. Pops had told her that and then the Flower Maiden had said the exact opposite. She'd told Blue that she was a wolf.

That was madness! There was no way any of what the so-called Flower Maiden had told Blue could be true. Blue didn't mean to be overly dramatic but wolves were her sworn enemies. After what they'd done to her family she'd dedicated her life to killing them all.

So Blue took the Flower Maidens words and cast them aside. She kept Pops' words close to her heart; they provided her comfort in these stressful times.

Blue closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. She was still moving but she felt calmer now. No matter how terrible things got she'd always find a way to bounce back.

She could hear horses whinnying and galloping. There were some crates jostling in the corner. Blue found the strength to sit up. She moved to the corner of the carriage and leaned against the doors. She shoved her body against the carriage entrance. She was getting out one way or another.

The wood creaked louder and as Blue pushed up against it. She thought she could hear it straining and breaking. She focused in on the sound. It was the wood but it was also a couple of people talking.

"Stop this thing now," yelled a harsh sounding woman.

"Yes, ma'am," replied a young nervous sounding man.

The carriage came to a stop. Blue's body tensed up. She was ready to fight if she had too.

Blue could hear the people talking to each other.

"Ma'am, no," the young man protested. "You really shouldn't open that! It might attack. There aren't even any guards with us. How would we be able to protect ourselves if it got out?"

The way she was talking made Blue worry that there was something, or someone, in the carriage with her. She reached for her knives but, strangely, they weren't there.

"If it's awoken I want to speak to it," the woman proclaimed. Blue jumped back and watched as the door slid open.

She considered her options.

'Should I run away?' Blue didn't want to run away. It was the coward thing to do. Sure, Pops had told her that in the right circumstances, retreating did have its tactical advantages. Blue didn't even know what she was running away from. She wanted to stay and find out why she was in the back of a carriage in the first place.

The woman that'd opened the carriage doors was holding a torchlight. The torches soft glow provided Blue with enough light to see the woman's face as she stepped into the carriage. The mystery woman's face looked just as harsh as her voice had sounded. She had straight blonde hair tied up neatly in a ponytail. Her attire, some sort of white coat, was extremely clean. Her glasses were dirt and dust free as well. Despite never-ending dirt and snow on the floor, her boots were clean too.

The woman sighed and turned to the nervous man who was peering awkwardly from around the corner of the carriage.

"I thought I told you to sedate it," the woman said.

"You did, ma'am," he said with a flustered expression on his face. "I-it was sleeping so I t-thought it was fine."

"Well it isn't fine" the woman's voice was as cold as the snow on the ground. "It is not fine. Hand me the sedative."

The man, who was also wearing a white coat fumbled around with a small brown bag until he found the syringe in question and handed the woman a syringe. "Ma'm,' he said. "Lord Darcia will be furious when he figures out what you're trying to do."

The woman grabbed it out of his hand and took a quick step towards Blue. "I don't care about his feelings. Darcia is a fool. I'm doing what I have to for the sake of humanity."

Something was wrong. There was too much of a need in the woman's eyes. Blue could see the excitement hidden in her face. As the blonde woman walked towards Blue, she felt a strange tingle run through her body. It was a lot like the sensation Blue had felt when she'd encountered the Flower Maiden

Blue wasn't sure why but she felt a surge of bloodlust. She felt a hunger, a need, for something. It was something that didn't even have a proper name. Something very strange was happening and Blue wanted to find out. So she didn't cower and run away. Nor did she give into her nearly tuned instincts and bite the blonde ladies head off.

The woman took another step forward.

She smiled stiffly and spoke in a slightly less harsh then she had before. The excitement that radiated out of her was now palpable.

"Calm down. I don't want to hurt you. My name is Cher! I really would like to study you. This will be the first time I've ever had a live test subject." The woman, Cher, still sounded cold. However, now there was a mix of tenderness and concern in her voice.

Blue still didn't trust it. She scooted backward and stood up. Her body immediately shifted into a fighting stance. Her face twisted into a grimace.

"Don't you touch me," Blue growled.

"Oh," Cher's smile broadened. "Y-you… you can speak?" The serious and composed woman seemed unable to hide her excitement.

"Wow! This is quite the discovery." Then she muttered under her breath, "The Book of the Moon must have been correct after all. "

"What in the hell are you talking about?" shouted Blue. "Of course I can talk! Why am I in this carriage?"

The light from Cher's torch cast a large shadow on Blue. When Blue looked down at it she didn't see the shadow of a young woman. Blue's shadow was that of a wolf.

Blue looked at her shadow in horror. She had to be going insane! She couldn't really be a wolf. The way Cher was talking to Blue almost made her think that she was. Blue had done terrible things in her life. She knew that her crimes were justified. She'd done what she had to do to protect what little family she had left and to avenge what she'd lost.

If it was true, if Blue had been turned into a wolf somehow, then the gods surely had cruel senses of humor.

Blue shook her head. Cher might be some delusional mad woman that'd kidnaped her for all she knew. Blue decided she'd play along for now. But she had no reason to believe anything Cher said. Blue didn't believe in magic or anything supernatural. She had no reason too.

Blue did believe that she could use Cher to get the information she needed about the wolves.

"What is… the Book of the Moon?" Blue asked skeptically. She'd never heard those words before.

Cher waved her hand in the air dismissively. Then she scribbled something in her notebook.

"There will be plenty of time for questions. Right now, you need to help me find the Flower Maiden. Since you're a wolf, it should be easy for you."

Blue cocked her head to the side. Maybe the woman from the inn, the Flower Maiden, was really telling the truth. There couldn't be two separate occasions of crazy women coming up to Blue and telling her some convoluted prophecy of wolves.

It was strange. The Flower Maiden obviously loved wolves. Blue should have disliked her but when she looked back on the conversation they'd had, she felt at peace. Blue didn't want to believe her. She didn't want to feel peace around someone who adored wolves and wanted humans and wolves to be a peace. The Flower Maiden had also mentioned 'Paradise.' Blue didn't think she'd ever been able to find peace around wolves.

The sense of tranquility she'd felt around the Flower Maiden truly sickened her. Blue wanted to find this mysterious person for her own reasons. She needed to learn as much as she could about wolves. Not because Cher wanted Blue to find her; though Cher did look so hopeful and anxious. Blue sort of did want to help her.

She'd have to leave Pops for now. She knew he'd be ok though. He was tough. If Blue could get information about the wolves she'd be able to hunt them all down easily. After that, maybe she and Pops could finally rest. It might be for the better that she was leaving him behind. Pops looked so tired all the time. Blue wasn't sure if he should even travel anymore. Sure, Pops would tell Blue that he was alright but she could see that he wasn't. The deaths of those close to him and his guilt because of their deaths clung as close to Pops as his coat hung over his shoulders or his flask jostled on his belt as he walked. He might conceal his emotions around Blue but she could tell that he was truly hurting. Any more traveling would probably kill him.

Blue wouldn't let the only family she had left die.

If Blue succeeded, she'd no longer be a burden to him. Pops had always been so kind to her. Ever since she showed up on his doorstep, he'd shown her kindness that now, he rarely showed anyone. She had to find a way to repay him for all the good he'd done for her. She had to find a way to avenge her families and adoptive family's deaths.

This was an opportunity Blue couldn't pass up. No one had ever mistaken her for a wolf before (because that was just absurd) and then offered to lead her right to where the wolves supposedly were. She also had to admit, a part of her was curious as to what the Flower Maiden and Cher had muttering about. For now, Blue would play the part of a helpful wolf looking for her lost savior.

It was like that expression;

'Going into the belly of the beast' Blue thought.

"Alright, I'll help you," Blue said with a slight nod. Let's go find the Flower Maiden and the wolves." It was very strange, the second Blue uttered those words she felt her senses get sharper. It was as if those words were some sort of magic phrase. She really felt as though she'd be able to track the Flower Maiden down.

 **-Quent-**

Quent knew he should follow the wolves that'd just fled into the forest. They had been right there, within his grasp and his firing range, and now they were gone. They fled into the woods. Quent didn't know a lot about the city he was in. He did know that those woods were known to be the last place many humans saw. The dangerous animals and plants were known to kill people. Normally he'd chase a wolf without a second thought though. Unfortunately, he had no idea where Blue was. He frowned, conflicted on how he should handle the situation.

'Maybe those bastards will get kill in the woods themselves,' Quent thought with a frown.

So he assessed the situation before him. Four men and one woman were sprawled out on the cold cobblestone floor. They were dead. Quent didn't have time to mourn them. He had warned the gangsters that this wasn't a fight they could win.

Wolves were strong and cruel beasts. They had managed to take away Quent's Family, Blues, and countless other innocent people. He hated to see people die. However, Quent vowed to eradicate all wolves at any cost.

He trained all his life, perfecting his shooting skills so that he could protect the only person who mattered to him. He had to protect Blue. While they weren't related by blood Quent had always considered Blue family. She'd wandered onto his farm one day. She had been so young then; her clothes were haggard, her face was dirty and it looked like she hadn't eaten in days. Quent, his wife, and his two sons had taken her in. They fed her, gave her clean clothes and eventually Blue looked strong and healthy. Blue was a peculiar girl though. She never talked about her past, Quent's sheep hated her, and she hated guns. When Quent had tried to teach her how to shoot she insisted she'd rather learn hand to hand combat and combat with a sword. Blue had quickly gotten just a strong as Quent's sons were, stronger in fact. She was fast, smart, eager to learn and eager to help. Blue quickly became part of Quent's family.

Quent didn't like to think about his past though. Thinking about the past wasn't going to do him any good. His right leg throbbed. It was if the very thought of his family made it hurt. After all, Quent had gotten his injury trying to protect his family from wolves. It was only fitting that it would act up now. He was used to the pain now. His injuries, both physical and mental, had become a part of him.

He limped away from the bloody scene in that had taken place on the street. Quent figured he could explain what happened to any sheriffs, even still, he'd rather not be there anymore. He'd rather be following those wolves and avenging his family's death.

Quent stared ahead at the forest. It wasn't that he wanted to leave Blue behind; he really loved her like a daughter. But he saw an opportunity to save her. Blue had her whole life ahead of her. She was still young. Blue didn't have to be a wolf hunter; she could start a new life somewhere else. She could settle down somewhere and learn to be at peace. Quent knew that he couldn't save the family he had lost. He could save the family that he still had. He would leave Blue behind and hunt wolves by himself.

He took one last look at the city, wished Blue a happy life and started down the main road out of town.

Quent walked for a while, content to travel on foot for a while, before coming across a pale young man with short brown hair. The young man was struggling to push his cart out of the snow. His horse neighed disapprovingly at the sight. The animal was obviously eager to get moving. The snow was practically coming down in buckets after all.

Quent cleared his throat and asked, "Do you need any help?"

He veered off the road towards the young man.

"Yeah, that'd be great," the young man answered with a slight smile. "I've been stuck here for a while and no one's bothered to stop."

"Well," Quent shrugged, "I suppose do have an ulterior motive. I was thinking you'd give me a ride."

They pushed the carriage wheel out of the ditch. "That's fine, my names Hubb by the way."

Hubb sighed,"It's not really a good idea to go out in the forest by yourself anyway. You'll get killed out here."

With a chuckle, Hubb added, "I've heard that the forest is filled with monsters."

Quent didn't believe in superstitions.

"If that's the case, then maybe I should go into the forest after all. I'm hunting monsters."

Quent watched as Hubb hitched his horse back up to his wagon. He jumped into the carriage with a grunt.

"Names Quent, I guess I'm not hunting monsters though they are in some sense. I'm after wolves."

Hubb frowned at that.

"What," Quent half shouted, "You like wolves?" He could feel anger building up inside him.

Hubb waved his hand in the air.

"No, no" he sighed, "It's just that my wife… Well, my ex-wife now. She's obsessed with wolves."

The two men both sat in the carriage in silence. Quent knew that Hubb also had some problems of his own. Quent certainly wasn't going to ask him what they were though.

Quent rummaged around in his pockets. He found two cigars and lit a match.

"Want one?"

"Yup," answered Hubb.

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Feedback is always apprecated. As usuaul, this is a fan fiction. I don't own any of the characters or anything._

 _*sigh* college is really kicking my butt. Like I've got all this stuff planned and no time to actually write it so if you want to blame someone for me posting a filler chapter instead of the chapter I orginally wanted to write about Kiba, Tsume, Toboe, and Hige; blame college. Like seriously._

 _Anyway, I needed to get all the characters in certain places before I started writing anything else. Cher and Blue are together and Quent and Hub are together. I know that a lot of people like Blue (including myself) but she never really gets put in fan art with the other wolves or anything. And the less I say about the popularity of the other characters, the better. I can't think of one person who actually likes Quent. So everyone's going to get some character development that will hopefully change peoples minds? I think that there are only two characters that I don't like. Darcia and Jaguar. I still don't like them, per say, but writing this fan fic has sort of made me understand their goals and thought processes more. There's going to be a chapter with them in it soon._


	14. Wolfs Rain Chapter 14 : Howls in Forest

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 14**

 **Howls in the Forest**

 **-Toboe-**

The four wolves that'd fled into the forest hadn't gotten very far. There was an unpleasant humidity in the air. The ground was sticky, muddy, and wet. The trees were so tall and large that they entirely blocked out the sky. It could've been day or night time, Toboe wasn't really sure. Time had passed, Toboe knew that, but he had stopped counting how much a while ago.

It was strange that just a little while ago Toboe and the other wolves had been running through the snow away from hunters. He'd been terrified, shaking from both the cold and the snow. Now it was so strangely warm. The contrast between locations was surreal.

Toboe was afraid to say anything. He didn't want to break the comfortable silence that the four of them had established. Well, honestly, the silence wasn't all that comfortable. All he could think that it was better than Kiba and Tsume arguing or Hige complaining that he was hungry.

Toboe desperately wanted to say something. The problem was, he had no idea what he should say. Tsume was limping, even though he was trying his best to hide it. The grey wolf walked a little further ahead than everyone like he couldn't be bothered to walk with them. Hige looked like was about to pass out from heatstroke, hunger, or both. Even Kiba looked a little out of it. Whenever Toboe looked at Kiba, he looked like he was somewhere else internally. He had such a distant and mournful look on his face.

The elation of meeting other wolves had left all of them. Even Toboe who'd always wanted to meet other wolves was feeling a little depressed. He missed the kids at the orphanage. He really missed Granny. When he had been running from the hunters before on the streets he hadn't had time to think or process things. This would be the last time Toboe would be able to hear one of Granny's stories.

Sure, Toboe wanted to go on adventures with wolves and rescue princesses just like in the stories he'd heard. It was just so dangerous though. And how much help would he even be on the quest?

He didn't do anything when everyone else was fighting. There wasn't anything he could have done except to run and hide like a coward. He wasn't strong enough to face any problems by himself. He didn't like violence and killing were out of the question. Toboe didn't even know how to fight or hunt like a normal wolf. He wasn't smart or really all that good at talking to people. He was just an awkward, stupid, cowardly puppy.

Toboe's head drooped. He stopped moving. The humid air seeped into his skin. His paws sunk into the mud.

"H-hey, guys can we stop for a bit?"

Everyone stopped except for Kiba. Kiba was definitely acting spacey but he somehow managed to stop and turn around like everyone else. Toboe admired Kiba. The white wolf was determined to find Paradise. He had a resolve that Toboe didn't think he'd ever have.

"Yeah," Hige yawned loudly. "I'm tired. We should definitely stop."

Tsume shrugged, "I'm just following you guys so do whatever you want." He trailed off the path towards a large pile of rocks.

Kiba walked closer to the rest of the wolves with a frown on his face.

He shook his head and said, "We don't have time to stop. We need to keep moving or we might lose the trail."

His eyes were transfixed on whatever he kept thinking about. Toboe knew that Kiba wanted to go to Paradise, they all did. Kiba just seemed kind of obsessed with it. Toboe didn't know what he should be looking for. But he'd heard the Flower Maidens voice. Her refreshing scent still lingered in his nostrils. Yet, he didn't feel like she had even been talking to him. If it hadn't been for the other wolves Toboe would have never been able to venture out of the city.

Toboe thought he'd be able to just drown in his sorrows. Instead, he heard Tsume and Kiba arguing again.

"Who died and made you pack leader," Tsume growled.

"If you have such a problem with me then you should go back to those humans that you were packed up with," Kiba growled back.

Tsume seemed angry now. His nostrils flared as he growled at Kiba.

'He's always angry,' Toboe observed. 'But he always looks even angrier when anyone mentions humans.

"I was just using those humans," Tsume retorted.

Toboe frowned, 'and now he's using us.' Somehow, even though Toboe felt that he was doing the same thing, he felt some anger over what Tsume had said.

"A wolf shouldn't need to depend on humans for anything." Kiba's voice always seemed surprisingly neutral but Toboe could hear bits of anger coming through.

Tsume scoffed, "says the idiot that was wandering around in broad daylight about to get killed by nobles."

Toboe was really starting to think that it wouldn't be exhaustion, dehydration, or hunger that killed the four of them. At this rate, Tsume and Kiba would rip each other's throats out long before they made it to Paradise.

"Geez guys," Hige said with an overdramatic sigh. "Stop fighting, will you? We need to hunt and you're both scaring all the prey away."

As if on cue, everyone's stomach grumbled.

"Then it's settled then," Hige chuckled. "Let's find something to eat and then we'll rest for a while." He looked at Kiba and smiled. "Paradise will still be where ever it is tomorrow.

Toboe let out a small relieved sigh. He was thankful to have Hige around. Sure, Hige barely ran as fast as Toboe did and he didn't look that strong. But he was a natural born peacekeeper. Toboe didn't even want to think about what would have happened if Hige hadn't been there to stop the fighting.

"Kiba," Hige said with a grin as he walked over to the angry looking white wolf.

"Let's find something to eat out here. It'll be like that time we went out searching for hotdogs."

The pudgy wolf started down another path, his nose to the ground.

Kiba frowned but he followed Hige anyway.

Toboe could hear Kiba mutter

"I hope there aren't any hot dogs in this forest."

Now it was just Tsume and Toboe. Even still, Toboe didn't feel like they were alone together. There were owls hooting, and insects making their strange noises. So many new, exciting and sort of loud sounds. They rung in his ears. Toboe knew that he had good hearing but that hadn't been a problem until now. Since he'd lived in the city all his life, he had quickly become used to those noises.

The city was always bustling with noise. Even though Toboe had stayed in the orphanage he could still hear the sounds from outside clearly. The howls and whistles of drunk humans. The brawls on the streets. The mice scurrying through the walls. Snow hitting the ground. Horses trotting through the streets, transporting cargo that traveled much longer distances Toboe ever had. Those animals and humans were more wild and free then Toboe had ever been.

Toboe could hear noises in the orphanage too. He could always hear Granny's stories clearly, even though she whispered a lot. He could hear when she took her dentures out and put them on her nightstand. He could hear when her bangles clanked together on her arms.

Those were pleasant sounds that he missed.

But Toboe could also hear not so pleasant things in the orphanage. He could hear the kids talking behind his back, mocking him. They said cruel things that he wanted to forget.

"You're so weak, the kids would say.

"You want to be like the hero's in Granny's stories but hero's need to be strong."

Or...

"You're such a suck up. You're always trying to get Granny's attention but she only pays attention to you because she pities you."

So when Toboe looked at Tsume and the other wolves, he couldn't help but admire them. They were all so much stronger then he was. They knew what they wanted to do with their lives. Toboe couldn't deny that there was a part of him that wanted to go back to Granny's.

The foreign noises of the forest mocked Toboe. The gentle hooting of the far away owls sounded more mocking and sinister. The forest may as well have been telling him that he was better off as a human than as a wolf.

Toboe wasn't determined like Kiba, strong like Tsume, or even patient like Hige. He was just a pup out of his element. A kid running around trying to live his fairy tales in real life.

He had made it out into the real world though. That had to be worth something at least. He might not have done anything yet. But at the very least, Toboe had a chance to be like the heroes from Granny's stories.

Yet, he felt that the kids were right. He was just a weakling. The other wolves would end up pitying him just like Granny must have. That he'd never really belonged anywhere because he was wolf raised as a human.

"I'm going to find some water," Tsume said.

Tsume's words had broken Toboe out of the daze he'd been in. He watched the grey wolf walk towards a pile of rocks.

"Wait," Toboe shouted. I'm sorry! It was all my fault that you're wounded."

Toboe felt his cheeks redden. He'd meant to apologize to Tsume, but not in the lame, frantic way that he had.

Tsume stopped and turned towards Toboe. He rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"It's a little too late for that."

"No, really, I'm sorry," Toboe shouted again. He sounded more desperate then he would have liked.

"I heard you the first time," Tsume said after sighing a long drawn out sigh. "You're standing right next to me, practically shouting into my ear."

The grey wolf turned away and muttered: "just try not to do anything stupid like that again."

And Toboe swore he thought he heard Tsume laugh. That was crazy, Toboe had to be imagining things. He could also see the pain that flickered across Tsume's face. Toboe only noticed now how guarded the grey wolves expressions were. If Toboe hadn't been staring at Tsume so intensely he probably would have missed it. Now Toboe wondered how much pain Tsume was hiding.

"Um well," Toboe muttered because it felt strange to him that he'd been staring at Tsume and not saying anything. Toboe wondered how much the regret and sadness were showing on his own face.

He suddenly felt panicked. He didn't know what he'd expected to happen but it hadn't been this. He felt so sorry. And he felt like in the short amount of time he'd spent talking to Tsume, he'd had managed to annoy him. Somehow, Toboe needed to do something to make him forgive him.

"But that's the problem," Toboe said loudly. "It's my fault that this happened! It's my fault you're in pain. I couldn't do anything. All I did was stand there and get you injured. I was watching you fight before and I thought to myself; ' if only I could be as tough as they are. If I wasn't such a coward... Maybe I could actually be worth something.' I um-"

Now that Toboe had started talking he didn't think he'd be able to stop himself.

He felt a bit relieved and somehow even more embarrassed when Tsume cut him off.

"Listen, kid," Tsume said in low voice. Toboe watched as Tsume slowly opened his yellow eyes.

"I'm not some idiot that goes around saving people for no reason. You were standing there- looking helpless, and I decided to help you. Now you can owe me a favor."

Tsume shrugged started walking away from Toboe. The brown wolf felt the most awful that he ever had in his life. This was all his fault. It really was. Everyone really would have been better off without him. Now Tsume was injured and they had one more mouth to feed.

He really would be better off at Granny's. She didn't think of him as a burden, or maybe she did, he couldn't really tell. But at the very least him being at Granny's wouldn't cause anyone harm or lead to their deaths.

Toboe watched as Tsume started sniffing the ground. Toboe was impressed when he watched the grey wolf find a large puddle of clear water. Tsume sniffed at it and took a tentative gulp. Water dripped from his sleek grey muzzle as he spoke again.

"I'm strong enough that a bullet isn't going to kill me but you nearly got yourself killed."

He glared at Toboe from across the pound.

"Which is why you should leave here before you killed. Go back to being that woman's pet."

Toboe shock in anger. Sure that was sort of how he felt but he didn't want anyone else telling him that. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. His paws started to sink into the muddy ground. He opened wide, trying to fight off tears.

Despite what Tsume said, it was far too late to turn back. A part of him really wanted to go back. Back to the safety and warmth of Granny's orphanage. But he couldn't do that. He couldn't go back there now. Toboe hated to admit it but he knew if he wouldn't be able to survive the journey back, even if he wanted to. Toboe was starving, exhausted, and dehydrated. He struggled to keep going even with other wolves at his side.

There was nothing he could do but keep going. Keep going and get stronger.

So that was what he was going to do.

"No," Toboe shouted. "I won't go back! I'll get strong enough to protect myself and everyone else."

Despite making that declaration, Toboe still felt scared out of his mind.

Tsume licked his muzzle, "then go ahead and do that then." Tsume turned away again. He walked away, faster this time, as though he wanted to show that is wound wasn't a problem. It only occurred to Toboe now that he had learned a bit of medical stuff from Granny. He could help Tsume after all! He felt himself smile.

Tsume frowned, "Drink some of that if you want. It's clean. I'm going to go and hunt. There's no way I'm trusting those idiots to do it for me."

"No, wait, I can help," Toboe shouted.

"Stay here, don't follow me," Tsume growled.

Toboe froze. He looked down at the pool of water and frowned. He still couldn't bring himself to do anything. Once again, Toboe felt like a pathetic puppy.

Hello and thank you for reading my fanfiction! None of the characters of Wolf's Rain belong to me! Support the original authors. Happy Valentine's Day! It's Valentine's Day and I'm here writing a fanfic about wolves arguing . so that's my fault. But really, I completely forgot it was Valentine's Day. But as a person who doesn't exactly ship Tsume and Toboe romantically, I think its fine. I can be pretty indecisive with who I ship with whom. But one thing for sure, I definitely think Tsume is a Tsundere.

If I had to match up some of the other characters with 'dere' archetypes =

Blue = Kuudere, Hige = Deredere, Kiba = Kuudere, Toboe = Dandere, Cher= Kuudere, Cheza = Dandere

Anyway feedback is always appreciated! It might seem like I just enjoy Tsume grumble at everyone but I swear there's a plot here somewhere lol.


	15. Wolfs Rain Chapter 15 : A Fowl Smell

Wolf's Rain

Chapter 15

A Fowl Smell

"This forest sure is creepy," Hige yawned.

" You can hardly see anything in this fog."

Hige narrowed his eyes and yelped when he got hit in the face with a branch.

Ack! See? These trees are even more dangerous then those hunters we were just fighting."

The forest was by far the weirdest place Hige had ever seen. But that probably wasn't saying much. He remembered nothing from his past. The things that he did remember had all taken place in Freeze City.

For more than a year, Hige had lived a comfortable life within human created city walls.

Being around these other wolves was giving him some of the most exciting and scary experiences he'd ever had.

The thought of what he'd been through the last couple days caused him to sigh. Exciting was good, sure, but there was nothing good about scary. As far as Hige was concerned the city is where he should have stayed. But it was to late to go home now. He was too tired and hungry and at least he had Kiba to protect him. Who would protect Hige in a city now filled with bloodlust filled hunters?

"No," Hige thought as he briefly turned around and was nearly hit with another branch.

" I've got to keep on going! No use in slogging through the forest by myself anyway."

With that thought in mind, Hige continued to trudge through the wet muddy ground.

It was because he was experiencing new things that he started to wonder who he really was. What was the Hige of the past like? What caused him to lose his memory and live amongst humans? He asked himself those questions for the first time in a while. So much of his life had been spent around humans. He'd spent such a long amount of time living as one that he'd forgotten what it meant to be a wolf.

Every now and then Hige did normal wolf things. He hunted somewhat well enough. He could track smells from far away distances. He just wasn't too big on physical activity. A part of him thought it would be better to stay in the city because he knew the place so well. The forest was overflowing with scents.

Hige glanced over at Kiba who looked as if he was on another planet.

He felt a little guilty. Kiba was so dedicated to finding Paradise. He looked so determined. Kiba was willing to do whatever he had to in order to make his dreams realities. The only thoughts that raced through Hige's mind were about food or woman

Hige licked his lips. He took a deep breath which he quickly regretted. The forest air made him feel sleepy. There were all these delicious smelling scents in the air. In the city, often practiced deciphering different smells. Obviously, a city and a forest were two different places.

Having such a good sense of smell wasn't always the best thing in the world. It might get annoying and overwhelming sometimes. Right now, in this forest filled with hiding animals, it was an advantage.

The normal human scents that he could smell were no longer in the air. Urine, sweat, charcoal and horse poop. Those we're smells he could do without. But the smell of cooked food or freshly butchered meat sent Hige to his own sort of paradise.

Hige missed those scents. He could picture the old butcher that he used to live with roasting vole or fowl. How easily Hige was able to blend in with humans. Being a wolf in the forest was different than anything he'd ever felt before.

Hige stopped and took a long breath. He could taste the dewy pine-filled air on his tongue. He could smell all the new scents of the forest. The fog was deep and Hige still couldn't see his paws right in front of him. But he felt like he could see everything.

Hige could lock onto the scent of just about anything. That's how he found the mice in the city and that would be how he would find the rabbits in the forests. The animals, insects, and plants all had unique smells. It was times like these when Hige was truly grateful for his gift.

Hige relaxed his muscles and took another sniff. He closed his eyes slowly and reopened them suddenly, trying to fight off sleep. The forest was intoxicating. He felt that if he didn't keep moving he might fall asleep standing up.

Hige glanced over at Kind who looked as serious and determined as he always did. Thankfully, Kiba was in no danger of falling asleep. Well, maybe he was but he wasn't showing any signs of fatigue. The white wolf gives off the impression that he was shouldering heavy stuff by himself.

Hige put his nose to the ground. He scented out a fresh rabbit trail. His nose twitched and his tail wagged excitedly.

"Let's go after them Kiba" he shouted with a wide grin.

Hige happily veered off the muddy main path towards the smell. He pushed past strange looking bushes and flowers covered in dew.

Kiba followed Hige silently. The white wolf strode so stealthily through the mud that Hige had to look back every once in a while to make sure he was still there.

Hige was starting to really see how little Kiba spoke. Ever sense Hige could remember he'd spent his life talking to people. It was just the natural thing to do. Also, he really enjoyed talking to others. You can't get to know someone if you don't talk to them.

Kiba didn't say anything unless he had to. Most of the things he had said to Hige were about Paradise or his hatred of humans.

Kiba was so serious and reserved. He was as cold as freshly fallen snow. But he wasn't harsh like Tsume was. Hige could tell that the two of them hated each other, ironically, Tsume and Miba were a lot alike.

Only somehow, Kind gave off this regal and polite area like he was some sort of royalty destined for greatness.

Hige assumed that if no one reminded Kiba to eat, drink, or rest he'd probably forget and wither up and die. It was fine to have something that you care about so much that you can put everything else aside. Hige never had a passion like that. Even his search for his forgotten memories was half-assed at best.

Kiba was dedicated to finding Paradise and rescuing the Flower Maiden

They'd been walking for a while more before Hige stepped on a branch and decided to break the silence. Hige had been too distracted trying to keep track of the scent and he knew that Kiba wasn't going to say much.

" So... Why do you want to find Paradise so much?" inquired Hige.

"I just do," Kiba quietly responded.

"Yes, but why," Hige pressed.

" Well, you know that feeling when your hungry and you really want something to eat? That's how it is for me with Paradise. Just like how you aren't happy if your hungry, l won't be happy until I find Paradise."

"Oh, that makes sense!"

Hige sounded happy about it but he was really getting kind of depressed. It didn't really make sense to him. How could hunger and the need to find something that might not even be real be the same thing?

Kiba knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. It didn't really matter. Hige didn't need to be as serious as Kiba was.

He could find out what he really wanted to live for later. For now, Hige was fine living for the sake of simple pleasures. Watching the sunset, eating good food, seeing a cute girl on the street. He was happy to live his life the same way he'd always been living it.

"When you were a pup, did anything weird?"

Hige asked with a sigh.

Kiba muttered something but he didn't get the chance to really talk.

The rabbit they were tracking darted to out from a bush. It ran, fearfully, into the other direction.

Hige chased after it like his life depended on it, which, at this point, it might.

He was right behind the rabbit, rapidly gaining speed when something crashed into him.

"Oof," Hige yelped as he slammed into a tree.

He fell to the ground with a thud. The world spun and his ears rung. One thing stood out amongst the chaos.

There was an overpowering bird stench in the air. It must have been a strange bird that Hige hadn't seen before because Hige didn't recognize the smell at all. It caught in his nostrils and his throat. His stomach turned and his eyes watered.

Would this unexpected collision cause death?

Hige coughed some fluffy brown feathers that got caught in his mouth. He struggled to stand on shaky legs.

"What in the hell was that? Hige sputtered.

The strong foreign bird smell lingered in the air. Hige gagged and turned towards where he thought the bird was coming from.

The bird sat perched on a far away branch. Hige would really have to put effort into climbing it and that was effort he didn't feel like putting forth.

The bird was large, plump and brown.

Hige licked his lips instinctively. The bird was so round and fatty looking. It must be so tasty.

It had strange circle markings on its stomach. Sort of like crescent moons. It had menacing yellow eyes and a sharp looking beak.

Hige lunged at the bird. His instincts and his hunger took over. He jumped up and snapped the air. Hige's stomach grumbled loudly. His drool dripped onto the ground, starting to form a puddle.

The bird let out what must be its version of a laugh.

"Hoo, Hoo," it chirped.

" Your attempts are in vain." The bird flapped its wings dramatically.

" Four lost wolves on a path to somewhere. But you're going about your quest all wrong! You are lost in more ways than one. You've all failed once, twice, many times! Hoo! Will this time be any different? Probably not."

The bird flew up into a tree and twisted its head around.

Hige hardly heard what the mysterious bird had said. He was too busy wondering what the bird tasted like.

Hello and thank you for reading this Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Please support the original creators! It's a Hige chapter today. I'm flip flopping back and forth between Hige and Kiba and Tsume and Toboe. No, I'm not a Hige x Kiba shipper ( though it probably seems like I am lol). I think they're just really good friends. Blue and Cheza aren't here yet so it's just a budding bromance for now. Hige's one if my favorite characters to write for. He's just so easy going and I think I can tell how he'd react to things easily. Kiba... Not so much...

I'm hoping next chapter will be longer! I'm probably going to change the day that I post from Wensday to Sunday.

Feedback is greatly appreciated!


	16. Wolf's Rain Chapter 16 - Healing Wounds

Wolf's Rain Chapter 16: Healing Wounds

-Tsume-

When Tsume opened his eyes he could see his old territory. The clear blue skies and tall green grass. The sun was high in the air and a cool breeze rustled through his fur. He stood in the shadow of the large rocky mountains. Little caves we're carved out here and there.

Food was plentiful there. Tsume could smell the rabbits and buffalo nearly by. When Tsume dreamed of his old territory and his old pack these were the things that he wanted to remember. Tsume was sure that he hadn't fallen asleep. He'd never fall asleep while treating a wound.

Pups were playing and the elders were talking amongst themselves. When night fell the elders would tell the pups stories.

Tsume could see himself as a pup, playing and living a carefree life. That life hadn't lasted long but, for a short time, he had lived it.

The wound he'd gotten from before wasn't anything serious

but it was a wound nonetheless. It stung, even in his sleep. He was never this careless or this stupid. Well, he had but that'd been a long time ago. It wasn't like him to want to protect anyone or jump in front of a bullet. At least not now. Why had he decided to jump in and take the bullet? Toboe couldn't protect himself. It was some sort of miracle that the little brown wolf was alive in the first place.

Now Tsume was injured and leg hurt like hell. It'd be even harder to protect Toboe if he needed to.

Well, he wouldn't need to. But it definitely would be better not to be injured in the first place.

Tsume was still in his dream state. He'd moved from his puppy self to his slightly younger self. He was surrounded by a bunch of older wolves and his pack leader.

Tsume didn't have his scar yet. This was before it happened. It couldn't have been that long before it happened though.

Suddenly Tsumes old territory looked more like a barren wasteland. There weren't any pups playing anywhere. There was a strong human smell wafting in the air.

Tsume could feel his younger selves anxiousness from across the plane. This was an anxiousness that he'd felt countless times in his nightmares. He desperately wanted to wake up now. It was great watching his pack before the tragedy. But it all blended together now. The good memories mixed with the bad and muddled them both.

Tsume closed and opened his eyes quickly, trying to wake himself up before he had to relive this nightmare.

But it was happening again whether he liked it or not.

Tsume gulped and nervously pawed the ground. He closed and opened his eyes quickly, trying to wake himself up.

He'd give about anything not to live through this hell again.

Some higher power seemed determined to make him relive his past.

The early winter chill was sweeping through the air.

The older grey wolves were yelling at Tsume, he must have caught them mid-sentence.

"No we aren't moving the pack anywhere," the pack leader growled.

" What an idiotic thing to suggest."

"Well," another older wolf chimed in, " he is an idiot."

Tsume growled and held his ground.

Even now he could feel his rage building up inside him. What happened before should have stayed in the past. Tsume's past had been following him and haunting him ever since he left his pack. "Left" probably wasn't the right word. It was more like he was forcibly driven out.

Something in Tsume snapped. The world turned red for a moment and blood rushed to his head. He lunged at the heckling wolf and tore into his neck. The grey wolfs expression filled in anguish than it suddenly dimmed. The heckling wolf went limp in Tsume's jaws. Blood poured onto his face. Tsume threw wolf to the ground and spat blood into the dirt.

None of this would be happening if they'd just listened to him. Humans, food shortages, illnesses. Tsumes pack leader had told them to be strong. That it was so important to be stronger than humans. But the pack didn't have enough resources to stay alive. He couldn't remember what went wrong exactly. The humans were coming, the world was falling into ruin and all the older wolves were too stubborn to see it.

The smell of humans was stronger now. One of them must have lit a fire. They'd found Tsume's pack. He felt warm, actually like he was on fire. He was fighting to protect his home but it didn't matter anymore. His pack leader was too stupid to see the truth. It didn't matter what Tsume said or did anymore. He just wished he could have figured that out earlier.

Wolves were howling now. The smell of blood, both human and wolf, tainted the air. Humans and wolves fought each other furiously. What before had been a nice peaceful wolf territory was now a battlefield.

Tsume had been in a daze. He'd never killed another wolf before. Sure, he had no problems with hunting or protecting his pack from humans, but this was different, obviously. He resented the foolish older wolves of his pack but he hadn't wanted to kill one of them.

But there was also a part of him that did want to kill all of them. He was sick of taking orders from a bunch of idiots.

Sometimes sharp and painful slashed across his chest. Tsume yelped and howled in pain. He jumped back to avoid any further injury. However, as he growled and went to retaliate, he couldn't see anyone there. It was just a blur of greys, reds, and blacks.

The last thing he had heard his pack leader say was " Get the hell out of here you coward."

Tsume couldn't quite remember what happened next. He'd been in a frenzied state. Snapping into a blur of growls and howls and yelps. He had no idea how many wolves he ended up killing. The humans had been there too. Guns firing and death being handed out left and he tried to forget it was the first thing his mind wandered to when he slept. He only hoped now that some of his pack survived.

Tsume stumbled out of his packs territory until he reached a city. That was when he started his new life. However, looking back, he hadn't lived much of a life anywhere.

Suddenly, Tsume was awake again. He jerked away but he still felt sleepy so he'd barely moved at all. He opened his eyes and let out a long yawn. The ground was cool and rocky again. He could feel his blood pulsing under his back.

Toboe was standing over him with some herbs in his mouth.

" Hey! You're awake," Toboe exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. He looked so happy Tsume nearly smiled himself. It was like it was contagious.

" You were asleep for a while so I was starting to think..." As he trailed off his smile turned into a frown.

Toboe had his herbs laid out on the ground next to him. It looked very organized. Tsume was grateful that it looked like Toboe knew what he was doing. Tsume knew next to nothing about herbs. He never had the time to learn. He knew more about causing pain than healing it.

Tsume sighed, " you don't have to this…"

He felt even more tired then he had before he'd fallen asleep. He still didn't remember when he fell asleep. Tsume wasn't usually this careless when it came to his injuries. And he especially didn't want anyone treating his wounds.

Tsume sighed again and dug his paw into the ground. He tried to stand and for a split second, he thought he was. His blood loss must have been making him delusional.

Someone cooed into his ear,

" You need to stop keeping secrets and let go of the past. Hoo!"

Tsume's ears twitched impatiently, " Did you say something?"

Tsume watched as Toboe mashed up one of the herbs with a rock. He slathered the herbs on to a cloth and bent down towards Tsume's wound.

"Please just stop moving though,"

Toboe muttered like he was only half paying attention. Or maybe he was hiding something. He didn't look like the type to actually be able to hide anything. He was far too jumpy and he was hardly a good enough liar. Toboe was fretful and he talked too much but sometimes he was a refreshing change from what Tsume was used to.

" I might get some herbs in your eye if you don't. It was hard enough collecting this stuff. And besides, you need to rest. We need to be careful or you'll reopen your wound."

Toboe's eyes flickered to Tsume's chest. His eyes grew wide and his body stiffened.

" How did you get that wound?" He asked the question as he mashed up another herb in his paw and slathered it onto Tsume's skin.

Tsume's jaw stiffened. He didn't know why he cared when anyone brought it up.

Because he'd been a coward and ran away? Or because he ended up fighting and lost anyway?

Tsume realized how little he actually talked to others. It wasn't something he needed to do. He didn't like talking. It was a tedious exercise. Yet, for some reason, he sort of liked talking to Toboe. It was sort of nice to know that someone cares about him. Not that he'd ever admit it.

It was almost laughable. Surely this couldn't be the first time Toboe noticed Tsume's wound. It was a huge eyesore across his chest, reminding him of his failure.

" It's just an old wound," Tsume answered with a shrug. He knew he was lying in a way. But it didn't matter. He was tired and he'd spent enough time thinking about the past.

The herb mixture on his leg sort of stung but Tsume wasn't going to say anything about that.

" Oops," Toboe's eyes filled with alarm. " I forgot to warn you."

He took a deep breath and nodded to himself.

" Well, "his voice perked back up with cheer, " I'll just have to get you fixed up so it won't scar." After a second he added, "not that there's anything wrong with it scarring."

Toboe sighed.

Tsume fought the urge to sigh too. He wanted to say ' thank you,' ' sorry' or really anything. But he couldn't allow himself to feel anything. He hadn't spoken to someone who didn't want to rip his throat out in ages. But he couldn't bring himself to say anything Instead kept silent and only the sounds of the forest could be heard.

Hello and thank you for reading my Fanfiction! Feedback is always appreciated. Please support the original creators of Wolf's Rain!

A Tsume based chapter is here! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm starting to notice how many flashbacks and out of body experiences the characters in Wolf's Rain have lol. There's probably going to be a Kind centered chapter next time.

I changed my posting day to Sunday now. My spring break is coming up soon so I'm pretty excited about it.


	17. Wolf's Rain 17: Not out of the Woods Yet

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 17**

 **-Kiba-**

As nice as it was to be out of the human-infested pollution-filled city, Kiba was starting to feel that the forest wasn't any better.

Well, the forest wasn't that bad, but it certainly wasn't Paradise.

Either way, it was time to face facts. The wolves were lost. Kiba was irritated, staving and thirsty. He didn't usually pay attention to those things. He was almost always in need of food, water and a good night's rest but he couldn't do anything about it.

This wasn't the type of quest that could be put on hold at a moment's notice. If Kiba didn't keep moving he might take a break and never be able to get going again. He'd take of his own need only when he had to.

Which was why Kiba couldn't be part of a pack, let alone be a pack leader. As far as Kiba was concerned, it was every wolf for themselves.

Hige was still trying to attack the strange plump bird that had appeared before them to no avail. Kiba wasn't sure which one of them was doing the most squawking, Hige or the bird.

Kiba didn't feel like getting involved. Though he had to admit the sight of seeing a prey animal had caused him to salivate.

But wasn't getting him anywhere. Hige and Toboe were nice enough but they weren't of any help. And the less Kiba thought about Tsume the better.

It seemed that whatever higher power there was in the world was determined to see him fail. Kiba didn't know why actually but he sensed that something similar had happened to him before. That somehow, in another life, he had died fighting for the Flower Maiden. It had to be some sort of hunger-driven delusion.

Sometimes Kiba had dreams and nightmares filled with memories he'd never experienced before. Weird things that he didn't feel like thinking about. One thing was for certain though; Paradise, the mere thought of it, pulled Kiba forward

He didn't want to put to much stock in superstition or whatever this feeling was.

Kiba also felt emotionally tired. Spending so much time on his own and then suddenly traveling with others was no easy task. It was so emotionally draining that Kiba considered leaving his newly found pack all together.

It wasn't as if they were bound by the laws of nature. He wasn't their pack leader. Four wolves wandering around together could hardly be called a pack.

Kiba shrugged and stopped his current thought process. He was here for one reason. He didn't venture out into the world to make friends. Kiba had one purpose and that was to find Paradise. Nothing besides that mattered. Everything else was just detours and roadblocks.

But now that he was suddenly interacting with other wolves like he hadn't done in ages. It was easy to focus on a something when you're all by yourself. Being around others was distracting and even sort of enjoyable at times.

Kiba suddenly felt the urge to run. He snuck away from Hige, the bird, and their collective squawking.

There was something grand about being a wolf in a forest. Kiba felt so filled with power. He felt so alive. His instincts obviously wanted him to run so that's what he did.

Kiba weaved quickly past trees, rocks and all sorts of things he didn't have time to look at as he ran. He ran until he reached a clearing.

There was a little pool of water surrounded by moss, grass and little pink flowers. The water was clear and shimmery from some sort of Crystals forming at the bottom. Tiny fat birds were chirping nearby. In the middle of the water, on a small sandy island, was a lone white flower.

Kiba felt very much like that flower at the moment. They were both trapped in their current situation without anyone else to care if they lived or died.

With a sigh, Kiba gave the flower a sympathetic glance.

He sighed again and thought, " I must really be delusional if I'm feeling sorry for flowers."

Kiba sniffed at the water and then lapped it up happily. It cooled his overheated body and scratchy throat.

While staring out at his reflection Kiba yawned softly. He was dirtier and more bruised up then he remembered. Miraculously, Kiba hadn't had a nightmare in a while. He wanted to think that it was because things had been getting better for him but it was likely because he'd been getting less sleep.

For a second Kiba contemplated jumping into the relaxing looking pool. The water was cool but not so cold that it wouldn't be enjoyable. He hummed softly to himself, considering it His tail wagged involuntarily.

However, Kiba decided against it. He gave the water another longing glance. As he did he saw himself in an attack stance; glaring, teeth bared, covered in gashes and blood.

Kiba disregarded the horrific image and started walking towards what he hoped would be an exit out of this wretched place.

He had to get out of here. Even if it meant leaving the others behind. They could take care of themselves and, while Kiba didn't want to seem cold, even if they couldn't it wasn't his problem. They could follow Kiba if they wanted to but he didn't want anyone slowing him down.

Kiba wandered, lost in his thoughts until he heard a voice call out to him.

"Kiba! Kiba, stop," the voice yelled.

Before he could himself, Kiba walked start into a tree.

He felt too tired to react.

The pool of water was gone like it'd never been there in the first place.

Hige was standing there with a goofy looking grin on his face.

"While you were out gallivanting around and falling into foliage. I caught some rabbits."

Kiba started to drool and his stomach grumbled.

"That's great," Kiba replied with a small smile.

"Yup." Hige agreed with a nod. Just as Kiba assumed that was the end of it, Hige asked;

"Did you manage to find a way out of here yet?"

"Not yet," Kiba simply replied.

"Don't worry," Hige said in his usual over encouraging tone, "we'll get out of here eventually."

Kiba sighed as he repeated the word ' we'll in his head.

His stomach grumbled again and instead of saying something like 'we aren't a pack" or "I don't need your help."

All Kiba could muster was, "I hope so."

Happy Easter and Happy April Fools Day! If I had known that today was going to be April Fools I would have (probably) done something. Support the orginal authors of Wolfs Ran! This is a Wolfs Rain fanfiction.

This chapter was going somewhere but I don't think it went exactly where I wanted it to -_-

But, nevertheless, here it is...

There will probably be a Blue chapter next time.

Thanks for reading this chapter though! Your feedback and comments are appreciated.


	18. Wolf's Rain Chapter 18: Lesburg Journey

**Wolf's Rain 18 - Journey in Lesburg**

 **-Blue-**

* * *

There was something cold and unsettling about Cher. She seemed like a tough woman who could handle herself. She was determined to make her goals come true with her own strength. That was something Blue could admire.

Blue hated that she'd grown close to Cher. They'd only been together for a short while but she still felt close to her for some reason. They hadn't said much to each other on the ride into the city. The train ride had been hard on Blues behind. She was dehydrated and hungry. But there was something about Cher that she liked.

They had been in a wagon together: horse hooves clomping, wind gusting, cargo shifting. A driver sat in the front with Cher. He asked Cher questions about there destination but otherwise, he was quiet. Blue sat in the back under a dusty canvas on an uncomfortable hardwood floor.

She and Cher had seen hadn't been together for that long so she could remember every awkward line of conversation.

"So, how long have you been traveling?" Blue had asked.

Just small talk to pass the time. It would have been too suspicious me to say nothing at all. Besides the fact that she needed information on wolves as quickly as possible.

Blue traveled in the back of the wagon. Cher leaned backward from the front seat so that Blue could hear her.

It was strange. Blue could hear the quiet woman much better then she could normally hear anyone. She could hear the horses galloping and the occasional page flip of Cher's book. Inconsequential sounds that weren't what anyone pays attention to were louder and sharper.

"Wolves have keener senses then humans," Blue thought with a frown.

Cher didn't need to know Blue wasn't a wolf. Blue didn't need to believe any of nonsense of her being one. She'd always had good vision, heating, and sight.

Blue heard Cher write something in her book. She flipped a page and let out a small sigh.

"Four weeks and two days,'

Doubt continued to creep into Blue's mind.

"Did she even know where she was going? Blue pondered.

"Then again, who am I to judge? I don't know where I'm going right now either."

Just as Cher's primary motivation was to find the Flower Maiden; Blues was to find the wolves. What they both wanted to do afterward was there own concern. Surely Cher had her problems and desires just as Blue did. Though the temptation of asking Cher "why" she wanted to accomplish what she wanted was great.

"What are you going to do, after you find her?" Blue blurted out anyway.

Somehow, the wagon car grew somber.

" That's one thing that I'm still trying to decide," Cher muttered after a while.

Blue didn't really know what to say anymore. She thought about her current situation. She was doing all this for Pops but the realization that she'd never seen him again was truly starting to settle in. She tried to comfort herself in her thoughts.

" Sometimes, to make someone else happy you've got to leave them behind."

Blues sadness made her drowsy. She didn't want to fall asleep in the company of strangers so she closed her eyes. Relaxing wasn't an option though. She'd found her knives and re sheaved them close to her but she couldn't seem to get her pistol reloaded. Blue felt uneasy so she wouldn't let herself relax.

Blue weaved through the streets and back alleys of the new town they'd just entered. Cher suggested they split up to cover more ground. The town was called Lesburgh.

The weather was much fairer than that of Freeze City's. Though it was uncomfortably dusty. It was warm but the air was uncomfortably dry. She swore she saw a tumbleweed roll by when she stepped out of the wagon. The houses were all made of up of sandstone. It was a strange, uniform town. Its people walked around haphazardly. Some had strange looks in their eyes that Blue couldn't place.

There was a strangely sweet and familiar smell emanating from somewhere that Blue couldn't help but want to find.

But that smell was overpowered by the dust now clogging her nostrils. As dry and hot as the air was, it became more apparent that she needed water.

Trying to look uninterested by Cher's conversation with the driver, Blue stared off into space.

"One room, two beds. As cheap as you can find, preferably near the Town square. Feed and board the horses and be back by sunset. We'll stay until we've tracked her down or this town proves to be a disappointment."

Cher seemed used to giving out orders. The driver barked out a timid "yes ma'am," hoped back into the wagon and started down the road.

"We should split up then?" Cher asked in a tone that seemed half order half suggestion.

"We can cover more ground that way."

Blue nodded. It was becoming more and more apparent that neither of them was good at talking to others.

"Let's meet in the square at sunset then," Cher muttered as she looked into her book.

Blue nodded again and this time Cher looked directly at her. Her eyes suddenly went wide and her mouth opened slightly. She blinked then with a sigh she closed her book and shook her head.

"What?" Blue asked, startled herself.

"Nothing," Cher quickly replied. "Don't worry about it. Let's meet up again soon.

Perhaps Cher had finally realized Blue wasn't a wolf. She wasn't sure if that would make her relationship with the cold blonde women better or worse.

Setting that aside for the moment, Blue silently started to sift through the crowd.

She contemplated taking off her coat but they'd just be one more thing to carry with her. She wanted her hands free in case she needed to fight. She probably would need to. Blue always found her way into the most dangerous, unsavory, ridiculous situations.

The people didn't seem very happy. They looked ok. They weren't starving to death or looking as of they were suffering from real illnesses. If it was possible for people to be mediocre then that's what they were. But when she looked into one of their eyes she couldn't see any spark or fire. Blue didn't want to pay much attention to the people around her but she had to. The best way to find out about a city and it's goings on was through its people.

Though she absolutely hated talking to others people.

Pops had told her to "learn the ins and outs of a town. Get used to its rhythms. Wait a while, blend in and you'll learn everything you need to know." Then he'd grumbled about how much he hated talking to people.

Blue laughed nervously to herself.

"I hate humans. Maybe I am a wolf," Blue thought with a nervous chuckle.

"Of course not! I don't hate all humans. I don't hate Pops."

Pops was who she was doing this all for in the first place.

The most logical place to go was into the local tavern. It was funny, she half expected Pops to be in their smoking his cigar and drinking his whiskey.

She tried her best to ease into the atmosphere of the tavern, aptly named "the Dusty Glass."

There were small groups of men drinking. Some were quiet, some were loud, some were disgusting.

"Do you have any water," Blue asked the Bartender.

She wasn't going to drink alcohol. It'd dull her senses and she didn't want to spend the money. Water was cheap and maybe if she was lucky she could get it for free. It'd just be too weird to try and blend in without a drink in her hand. Though Blue assumed that the men were too drunk and stupid to notice much.

"You sure can," the Bartender replied with a smile. He opened a large jug and poured the water into a glass.

"It's in the house," he said as he slid it across the counter.

Blue noticed his thick foreign accent. He also sounded somewhat sinister as he continued.

"I doubt a woman as beautiful as you 'ill have any trouble getting free water."

He laughed and Blue laughed with him.

Blue smiled and hide her suspicion to the foreign man.

"Thank you," Blue said simply. She grabbed her drink and shifted onto a nice quiet corner in the room. She took a tentative sip and leaned back against the wall.

In times like this, she was glad for her enhanced hearing.

Blue overheard a man say,

"And more and more of 'em have been showing up lately."

Another man chuckled coldly, "Yeah but we'll take care of all of 'em sooner or later.

A third man shared his opinion, "They're an annoyance though, that's for sure. That cult… those women have been nothing but trouble since they started coming down."

"Yeah, well at least they're all hot. Not like the women in this dump. Feels like your digging through the trash every time."

The three of them laughed loudly together. There boisterous excitement getting on Blues nerve.

One of the motion to Blue then leaned in a whispered.

"Mmm. That girl over their. She's a looker."

One of the other men replied, "She sure is. You think she's one of them?"

"Maybe. Either way, it can't hurt to take a look."

That was Blues cue to leave. But she fought her instinct. They could just be drunkards trying to flirt with her.

But the way they were talking…

"They could be slavers," Blue thought as she carefully dug into her pocket and grasped her knife.

She glanced at the men. They slowly got up from their table and started to make their way over to Blue. There was some sort of hunger on their faces.

Blue sighed, crossed her arms and eyed the door. The bartender walked over and closed it.

Why couldn't Blue go into a town have things go smoothly for a change?

She definitely couldn't stay here anymore.

"Hey," one of the men said as he drew closer. His smile was crooked and his accent deep.

"You're new in town. Want someone ta shows you the sights?

Blue felt the urge to throw up.

"No thanks," Blue said as she slowly reached back into her pocket for her knife.

"How 'bout you come with us now and if you don't cause us any trouble then we won't cause you any?"

He put his hand on her. He was still smiling but it was much more sinister now. Blue glared back at him and slapped it away.

"I'd really rather not," Blue said stepping forward.

Another man blocked her path.

It wasn't that she minded getting in a fight with these thugs. However, Blue had a disadvantage. She knew nothing about this town, it's laid out if she wanted to run away. She had no idea how its people fought. Guns, swords, barehanded, axes? Was the reason everyone's eyes looked dead because this was a slave trafficking town?

"Because if that's the case…," Blues thoughts strayed to Cher. Blue knew she could take care of herself but could a scientist that's only been traveling for weeks on some convoluted journey be able to?

The answer was obviously no. Blue would have to help her. But there were more pressing matters to attend to first.

The man who first spoke to Blue suddenly put his hand on her again, much harder this time. The hostility, bloodlust and just general lust that filled the room was palpable. His fingernails dug into her skin and she stifled a moan.

"Hey," one of the men said with a chuckle. "Don't hurt her too bad. We need her in ok condition at least."

Blue felt her own sense of bloodlust and hatred rising within her.

But she remembered Pop's words. "Keep yourself composed during a fight. No matter who you're fighting or what they say or do to you. You can't win if your emotions are out of control."

Blue took a deep breath. A second later she twisted her body leftwards out of the man's grasp. A flick of her right wrist sent the knife she kept concealed in her hand. A low kick to the man's feet caused him to stumble backward. As he fell, Blue lunged forward and stabbed him clean in the neck.

There was a sharp gasp and a distorted gurgling sound as Blue pulled her blade out. The man fell to the floor with a thud. Blue turned away as soon as she saw the light go out from his eyes. Everything moved in slow motion for a second. The distorted shouts and curses of the men beside her and the frightened gasps of the tavern patrons.

Blue didn't want to stick around to see if she could take another one of the men down by surprise. She believed in her skill but for all, she knew the whole tavern could be filled with slave traders.

She ran for the door, quickly turning and throwing one her knives at one of the men as she went. Blue felt a bit like an animal trapped in a cage.

Blue didn't like that feeling at all. She'd have to change things.

The bartender stood beside the door, his whole body oozing nervousness.

A deep growl emanated from someone inside Blue that she didn't recognize.

At that moment she really felt uncomfortably wolf-like.

Her bloodlust and anger mingled together as she stared down the man in her way.

"Either you step aside or I kill you. You're choice."

The man flung the door open so fast and stumbled aside so quickly that it caused a gust of wind to blow in Blues face.

As afraid as everyone was of her, Blue still ran and she didn't look back. She could sense it, they were chasing after her. She just needed to find a place to fight with a little more open space. The way this town and the people within it behaved, Blue could tell her fight was just beginning.

* * *

Thank you for reading! This is a Wolf's Rain fanfiction, please support the original author! Feedback and follows are greatly appreciated.

Cher and Blue work really well together. I'm not entirely sure if they meet in the manga but I really wanted to write about them in my story. Hopefully, they'll appear again together. The thing with Blue getting attacked happened in canon (I think). I was going to write this chapter with someone helping Blue out in the fight but then I was like, "Nah, she can take care of herself just fine." There'll be more on slave traders, and the cult and all that good stuff next chapter.

*crosses fingers* hopefully, this chapter will upload this time. I'd like to send a huge thank you WargishBoromirFan for letting me know the chapter formatting was crazy. ...Technology is your friend until it isn't...


	19. Wolf's Rain Chapter 19 - City Wolves

_Chapter 19 - City Wolves_

 _Hige –_

* * *

Hige, Toboe, Tsume, and Kiba managed to make it out of the woods. After that, the walked and walked, following the scent of what could only be the scent of the Flower Maiden. Out of all the wolves, Hige seemed to have the best sense of smell. So he walked slightly in front of Kiba. It was times like these when Hige was relieved to process his enhanced smelling capabilities. At the same time, having such an important job was terrifying.

Eventually, they reached a long dusty road. It was unbearably hot and dry. Bugs flew into Hige's mouth and he decided to just roll with it and eat them. They weren't terrible.

Hige didn't think a full day had passed before he'd wished he could go back to Freeze City. He was a wolf, sure, but he was a city wolf. This life wasn't for him.

But Toboe kept smiling and looking at Hige expectantly. Kiba every now and then stopped looking like he was in a trance to show some interest in where they were going. Even Tsume expressed some emotion now and then.

Hige knew he didn't remember anything from his past. He could have had a pack in the past, He'd always visualized his friends, family living happily in their peaceful territory. It was wishful thinking, he knew, but Hige hoped that if he wandered around long enough he might find his pack again. Maybe they were out searching for Paradise too. Maybe they'd already found it and were waiting for him there. These thoughts comforted Hige because, as hard as he tried, he couldn't remember anything.

These wolves here, the ones behind him, they were counting on Hige now. He had to try his best for them.

Eventually, the dusty road went down a long, steep hill and spilled into a dusty town. Hige had forgotten to keep track of how many days they'd been walking. But would've only made him more depressed. But that time no one wanted to stop to rest or eat. Not even Hige. Searching for Paradise was apparently distracting work.

But the sight of the town brought his troubles back in the four front. Hige was parched, overheated and if he didn't eat something soon he might have to cook Toboe and eat him.

Nature was a strange place that seemed new and exciting at first But after really experiencing it for the first time, Hige was glad to have the comforts of the city back at his disposal.

The city loomed in the distance. Hige never knew how happy the site of a bunch of sandy looking buildings could make him.

" It's good to be back," Hige grinned.

"You've been here before?" Toboe inquired.

Hige shook his head, "no, well… at least not that I remember."

The curiosity to know about his past was starting to burn inside him.

It had never bothered him before Now, for one reason or another, not knowing about how he'd spent his life and whom he spent it with really irked Hige.

He shrugged, "maybe."

Hige's nose twitched, " but that doesn't matter. Where ever there are humans." He muttered a bit, starting to salivate. Where ever there are humans there's food… and women…"

Hige's thought started to trail off.

" Humans are good for one thing, to steal from," Hige heard Tsume mutter.

The grey wolf looked in the distance and stopped in his tracks.

Looking up into the sun; Tsume squinted and said;

"It'll be better if we wait to go down around dusk. Four wolves in broad daylight will be easy to spot. We don't want to be seen."

Everyone had stopped by now. Before Hige could respond, Kiba spoke.

"Why? Are you afraid you're precious humans will turn on you again," Kiba goaded?

"No," Tsume growled.

"But I do think traveling in the city during the with a spacey dream filled idiot will lower my chances of living."

"I-I don't see what's so wrong with humans," Toboe said meekly.

"Maybe some of them, but the ones that I knew were nice.

Hige nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but hear Kiba's frustrated sigh and Tsume's irritated eye roll.

"Well, we don't all have to go down there at once. We could go on groups." Hige suggested.

"Good idea Porky," Tsume smirked. " You can head down first."

Hige's eyes widened and he physically took two steps back.

"Well, I um… didn't mean me per say."

Glancing over at Kiba, who was staring intensity at the nearby town, Hige exclaimed,

" You want to go down Kiba. We could go together?"

"Or I could not go at all," the pudgy brown wolf silently added.

"Sure," Kiba shrugged.

Tsume muttered something about taking a nap. Toboe chased after him yelling that he needed to treat his wounds.

But, wither Hige liked it or not, Kiba and him made there trek into the nearby city. The scent of the flowers lingered in the air. But even Hige had trouble keeping track of it through all these other scents.

It was clear to him now. Hige was a wolf and he did like the forest. But he loved the city.

The smell of cooked meat out an open flame nearly made him how in the middle of the street.

Hige's mouth watered freely. He could feel himself grinning as he passed a food stall.

He stopped and Kiba did as well shortly after.

" Don't you think we should get something to eat before we search?" Hige asked in a hopeful tone.

With a frown on his face, Kiba responded,

" No Hige I don't."

They stared at each other for a moment, Kiba's patience visibly shrinking, until Kiba muttered,

"But if you really want something to eat then I'll keep searching while you do. Take care of yourself."

"Wait," Hige shouted. But the white wolf was already turning and walking quickly away.

Hige sighed. " He's always in a rush," he thought as he turned his attention back to the food stall. " Well, at least he's worried about me, in his own way." A second later Hige thought,

" oh no, wasn't the point for us to stay together, so he could protect me? Crap!"

Hige steadied his nerves. He was fine. Humans didn't seem to notice he was a wolf. He wasn't sure why but he blended right in with them. The city was Hige's element. If anything, Hige was more worried for Kiba who looked more uncomfortable in the city then a rat trying to fly.

" If ya ain't buying nothing get out a here," a man grilling meat yelled. " I ain't got no time for no loiterers."

At that moment, Hige wished had money to shove in the angry man's face, but alas, he was broke.

" Steal something, go into the alley and kill some rats?" possibilities raced through Hige's mind. One thing was for sure, he couldn't stay where he was. The food vendor would probably snap and serve He up on his grill if he wasn't careful.

Hige slinked into an alleyway, feeling detected.

"Hey," he heard someone yell. " Stop her! Stop that girl!"

" What," Hige said. "Whoa!"

Then, suddenly, a girl ran past him. She nearly knocked Hige down as she went. He stumbled back into the wall, startled, and tried to get a good look at her.

She was slender and wearing a hot looking trench coat. Her hair blew in the breeze as she ran, much faster then Hige ever could, down the alleyway.

Hige focused his eyes on the girl and nearly died of shock. He didn't know how he hadn't noticed it before. The girl was a wolf.

His urge to chase after the wolf girl was strong. Still, he wanted to stay as far away from dangerous situations as he could.

"It could be Nobles," Hige thought nervously.

" What am I supposed to do if they are? I should look for Kiba. He'd know what to do."

But finding Kiba would take time, something Hige didn't have much of.

The men that had shouted before pushed their way past Hige. He got slammed into a wall again.

With a sigh, Hige gave chase.

" We've got her right where we want her," one of the men cackled.

There were about fifteen of them, holding their various weapons, shoved into the small dead-end corridor. They looked haggard and filthy compared to the other Nobles Hige had come into contact with. Yet, some of them carried the same odd weapons that they seemed to typically carry.

The crest of their Lord, Hige couldn't remember their name, was dully etched on to their clothes and weapons.

The wolf girl looked surprisingly calm. Hige was sure that he looked the exact opposite. His heart was racing and his breathing was much too quick. He could barely focus on how beautiful the wolf girl was.

Hige hadn't actually ever seen a female wolf before. Traveling with a bunch of angry testosterone filled guys wasn't helping matters either.

So he couldn't help but stare at her for a few seconds. Her fur was a strange blackish blueish shade that he admired. Her eyes were a chocolate brown. She stood without any sort of fear or doubt in her stance. Somehow, even against all these men and their strange weapons, Hige believed she could protect herself. At any rate, she looked like she'd do better in a fight then he would.

Even still, Hige found himself feeling the need to intervene.

" Wait," he shouted as he sprinted over to the wolf girl.

He put his arms out wide, as to shield her from attack.

" Shouldn't you guys pick on someone your own size. Ganging up on someone, especially a girl, isn't very nice."

The men stopped and laughed as if considering what Hige was saying. He didn't know if he had the right to believe it or not, but Hige was suddenly filled with the hope that everything would work out alright.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading! This is a Wolf's Rain fanfiction, please support the orginal author!_

 _I started writing this chapter and I had these big, ambitious plans and it got short. ...I've been studying for exams and working overtime at my job so I'm just waiting for things to settle down a bit. Things are finally going to start happening for Hige and Blue! They've met but I swear that they'll actually start talking next chapter. With any luck, I'll be able to write a longer chapter next time._

 _Feedback and follows are highly appreciated!_


	20. Wolf's Rain Chapter 20: Obsessions

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 20 - Obsessions**

 **\- Hubb -**

* * *

Life certainly hadn't been ideal right now for Hubb. Traveling in an uncomfortable dusty wagon with an anti-social old man certainly wasn't the travel situation he wanted.

He had to find Cher. At the very least, he had to find out where she went. She could've gotten herself kidnapped or worse. The best scenario was that she'd just gotten caught up in her nonsensical research.

Even though Cher said she never wanted to see him again, at least he knew where she was. Now that she was gone, he was starting to obsess.

Looking back, Hubb had no right to call Cher's research nonsensical. He was chasing after under the assumption that she was wherever wolves were. Hubb put aside his skepticism as to whether or not their wolves were still in this world. He put his objections towards the goal of Cher's research and her means of getting result's.

"How many more people have to die," he'd asked her.

" How many more animals? Is this such an important goal that we have to sacrifice all this?"

Hubb had been telling, pleading, but it hadn't done him any good. It'd been snowing hard that day. But he couldn't feel the cold. His anger over the whole situation had kept him warm.

" What about all the lives we're ruining? Surely, after the failed experiments…" Hubb trailed off a bit and whispered, "… you can't let that girl suffer the same fate."

Cher looked up from that accursed book she was always reading, a horrified look on her face. Her eyes were wide behind her glasses and a grimace played across her beautiful face. Her stern, analytical personality practically oozed from Cher's appearance.

Her tight bun and wrinkle-free lab coat. As dully as Cher dressed at times, Hubb didn't think there was anything that would dampen her beauty.

"Her name is Cheza," Cher said in a quiet yet angry tone.

" How could I forget" Hubb yelled. " She's all you talk about!"

" Nothing bad is going to happen to her," from the way she sounded, Cher was just trying to reassure herself.

" I don't have time to deal with you right now Hubb."

It was the first time she'd said his name in ages.

" What are you-"

"We need a divorce." Cher's tone was so even, so devoid of emotion, that Hubb thought he'd been dreaming it. He'd hoped he'd been.

He stood there, in shock, watching Cher flip through pages in her book. He didn't know how long he'd been standing there. But the last thing he remembered was Cher standing up, pushing him out the door, and then the cold snow falling on his head.

Then, the loud hard "thud" of the door closing in his face.

Cher had pushed Hubb out of her life, both literally and metaphorically.

Suddenly there was another loud "Thud".

Hubb felt his head throb. He'd hit it off the side of the window. For a moment, he'd been spacing out, thinking about the past. But that bit of pain brought him back into the future.

" Watch yourself," Quent muttered.

Hubb had forgotten about him as well.

" Aw," Hubb said as he looked over at the older man. " Are you concerned about me?"

Hubb smiled because honestly, this was the nicest thing Quent had said to him.

" Not particularly," Quent answered back. " But I would be if you couldn't pay me back."

Quent's matter-a-fact attitude and cool demeanor reminded him of Cher. They were both stubborn and they didn't say much. Also, from the looks of it, they were both obsessed with wolves.

With a sigh, Hubb sunk back into his seat. He dug around in his bag, looking for his coin bag. Instead, he found one of his cigarettes. With a shrug, he put it in his mouth.

"It'll be awhile before I have enough to buy any of these again," he thought.

After a long tired sigh, Hubb located his coin bag; it was light and depleted.

" I probably should've prepared better than this," he thought with another dejected sigh.

Hubb glanced over at Quent who was staring straight ahead at his horses.

Be really should have prepared better. Now he was chasing after fleeting hopes and dreams just as much as Cher was.

Quent had to have his own reasons for traveling. Hubb wasn't sure if he should talk to Quent about why he was a wolf hunter. He didn't seem like the type for idle chit-chat, let alone discussing his personal life.

The wolf hunter seemed troubled by something. Well, most people in this world were troubled by something or other. Quent's pain seemed hidden below the surface.

Hubb didn't want to make things worse than they already were, but he needed answers now.

Quent knew about wolves and they'd be stuck together for a while.

"So," Hubb tried to ask casually, "what do you know about wolves?"

Quent took so long to respond that Hubb started to believe he wasn't.

"It doesn't matter what anyone knows about them, "Quent's words were dripping with irritation. "They'll all be dead soon enough anyway."

Hubb sighed, "Yet another person life ruined by wolves," he thought.

He decided not to leave it at that.

"Which house are you serving? If your hunting wolves I'm sure they'd rather get them alive."

Hubb's mind was suddenly plagued by a dead and dying dogs. He could remember the people in Freeze City hiding their dogs and keeping them on short leashes. If not, they'd find their pets killed, severely wounded or dognapped.

"I don't care about rewards," Quent grumbled. " I just want them all dead."

Not knowing exactly what to say to this, Hubb nodded dumbly. He suspected it before but now Hub could plainly see Quent wasn't at all excited about the prospect of conversation. He wanted to be left alone with his hatred and bloodlust.

Hubb remembered what Cher had told him about wolves. How they were the key to the salvation of the world. That there was a prophesy that needed to be fulfilled. Paradise, Flower Maiden's, Blood Moons, and sacrifices. It was just that they hadn't quite cracked the code as to what it all meant.

Cher wasn't the only one who cared about this stuff. There were powerful, influential people who did as well.

The remaining Nobles were obsessed with wolves. Lord Orkham, Lord Darcia, and Lady Jaguara were the only ones of Nobility that remained who cared about these prophecies. Unlike regular people, who considered Paradise to be a legend or a fairy tale. Nobles had fought and bled over something that couldn't possibly exist. They'd funded Cher's research. They instigated people to become wolf hunters, only for those people to lose their lives all too often. They turned a blind eye when cults or gangs popped up. They did nothing to actually help their people.

Nobles destroyed an absurd amount of lives over a fairy tale.

In a way, Hubb was glad to be leaving Freeze City. It was a miserable place now that he thought of it. Sure, he'd've been happy if Cher had stayed there. But he'd be happy in a leach infested ditch of it meant he got to be with her.

Looking back, Freeze City had been a total nightmare. Orkham didn't care about his people at all. At least if he did it didn't show in how he treated his domain. Lesburg was under his jurisdiction as well. So Hubb had a whole new poorly managed town to look forward too.

The number of gangs, crimes, and bloodshed in Freeze City was insurmountable. It was a little exciting to be going somewhere, doing something different. Besides Cher, everything in Hubb's life had been boring and routine. Sure, he was a detective, but even that became normal and unexciting. Hubb was doing something with his life, making real choices.

The question of how Hubb was going to find Cher? He couldn't assume the worst had happened to her. She had to be ok. But where could she be and how would he ever find her again. Even if he continued to work under the assumption that she'd be wherever wolves were. Where would they be? Wherever she was, Hubb knew that he had to see her again. Even if she didn't love him anymore, she had to see her face and tell her how he felt. Then of course, if she was in danger then he could at least try to help her. He tried not to worry and let his mind assume the worst just yet. Cher could take care of herself. She'd hate him for thinking that she couldn't. Even still... he was worried about her.

Hubb silently groaned to himself and thought, "I guess I'll know what I'm doing once I get to the next town over."

Hubb shuttered, remembering the blood and carnage he'd seen before just before he'd left Freeze City. He'd spend the whole day searching for Cher. He came to the conclusion that she wasn't there and just as he went to leave he saw something horrible. Torn up bodies, snow-drenched blood, and fur. But not normal dog fur. No, dog fur made Hubb feel like he was going to die. This fur was bad but it was tolerable. It had to be wolves. The few times people had brought actual wolves in for bounties, his allergies hadn't been nearly as bad.

At this point, Hubb knew he was just acting on hunches and hopes but he had to keep going now.

He didn't like any of the members of the canine species. But Hubb hoped that his assumption was correct, that his allergies doubled as a

Or at least Hubb hoped that was the case. He considered his allergy a sort of built-in wolf detector.

"If only I could just find some sure fire way to tell where Cher was," Hubb thought as he looked out the window. The carriage jolted again. Hubb bumped his head on the wall. He was starting to think Quent was doing it on purpose.

" I was just wondering" he paused, unsure of what he was trying to say. " I was wondering about the wolves… I need to find some for…work."

The truth seemed to complicated. Then again, either way, it didn't seem like Quent actually cared what Hubb said. The old man just shrugged and stared straight ahead at the road.

"But," Hub continued. " If you'd allow me, I'd love to help you on your hunt. Seeing as we're both looking for wolves it might more convenient."

"No," Quent replied quickly.

"And why not?" Hubb asked, his patience dissipating.

Quent clinched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. It felt like this time, he might actually say more than one sentence. He didn't.

"You'd only slow me down, Quent said quietly.

"No, I won't," Hubb insisted. " I'm a detective, I know how to use a gun. I'll be fine."

There was a silence as if Quent was considering this.

In a rather sorrowful tone, Quent grumbled, " No you won't be "fine." No one's fine after hunting wolves. If you haven't started now, this is not the time to start. You'll end up dead."

" I won't! And if I do… then it doesn't matter. I don't care."

Hubb felt of rush of sadness. Unless he found Cher first, she'd never know that he died. She was too consumed with her research to care about anything and it wasn't as if coroners notified people's ex-wives for every bum that was killed on the streets.

Quent groaned. Hubb watched the older man close his eyes and then reopen them with a newly found irritation.

" Fine," Quent grumbled. A few seconds later he said, in a grave tone, " Seriously, if anything happens to you, I'm not responsible. If you don't care about your own life I certainly don't have a reason to."

Hubb smiled and nodded. "That's fine with me."

 **-Blue-**

* * *

Blue stood, stunned, behind the brown pudgy wolf. Her jaw metaphorically dropped to the ground. She stared at him, hard. He was a man, then, without any explanation, he went back to being a wolf.

" Am I hallucinating, "Blue thought frantically.

" Surely, a wolf can't be standing here, his defenses down, just begging me to kill him. He has a collar on so maybe… No, he's definitely not a dog."

Blue gripped firmly onto her knife. Was this what Cher had been talking about before when she mistook Blue for a wolf?

She glared at the wolf and he was a man again, frantically yelling for the thugs to stop attacking. His brown hair blew in the breeze. A nervous smile played across his lips. But his eyes were warm and full of concern. Blue didn't pay much attention to men but he wasn't bad to look at.

He was defending her. As weak and unsure as he looked, this man was protecting Blue from a threat that had nothing to do with himself. It felt nice, flattering almost, to see someone showing such unexpected kindness. If only he could've been a human.

Blue squinted and he was a wolf again; Brown fur wide eyes, a toothy smile. She had to kill him.

Unfortunately, the men who'd tried to attack her brought reinforcements. Blue groaned. She killed enough of them from before. They were assholes for trying to kidnap her and from their ways of speaking they probably did this before and they'd probably do it again. Everyone in this town was afraid. Could they be the reason why?

But Blue didn't care about getting her revenge on them nearly as much as she cared about killing wolves. Though obviously, she couldn't get careless. If these thugs killed her then she wouldn't be able to rid the world of wolves. It seemed like they wanted to kill the wolf-like she did. That wasn't happening though. Blue wanted to be the one to kill the wolf. It was petty but she needed the kill for herself. That was if he really was a wolf.

Cher had called Blue a wolf before and she obviously wasn't. Maybe he wasn't a wolf either. Blue didn't want to hurt someone who was innocent.

" By that logic, if I'm not a wolf then he isn't one either," Blue thought while letting out a frustrated sigh.

" I must be losing my mind." It wasn't clear to Blue if she'd said or thought that.

The next thing she knew her ears were ringing. Her head felt like it was going to explode.

Blue screamed an agonizing blood-curdling scream. Something slammed into her. It was the wolf or human ( Blue still hadn't made up her mind) from before.

She groaned and internally scolded herself. " I've no time to waver. I shouldn't be spacing out like this."

The wolfman fell to the ground. For a second, when he didn't get up, she felt both guilt and joy.

" We should really run," he yelped quietly as he struggled to stand. Once again, he stood in front of Blue. He spoke to her and she understood him. He couldn't be a wolf.

The thugs jeered and hurled insults in Blue's direction. Being pinned in the alleyway and fighting against people with strange futuristic weaponry was like a nightmare. Blue weighed her options, fight all these men now or try to escape.

Escaping seemed like the less reasonable situation. They'd be able to shoot at her the second she moved. Not that they couldn't just shoot at Blue now. The only thing that was saving her was that they knew they had her beat and now they were just torturing her. If Blued only known the city better she wouldn't have run herself into a dead end.

The situation seemed hopeless.

"How many can I kill before-" Blue started thinking and then didn't want to finish her sentence.

" You should run," the wolfman whispered. " I can probably distract them long enough for you to get away "

" I'm tired of running. And I don't want help from you" she growled. Wither or not he was a wolf or a human, Blue didn't want to take handouts from anyone.

" I can take care of myself just fine."

" I'm sure you can," he replied calmly. It sounded like he was stifling a laugh, " You've got your pride and your skills… But would you rather have your pride or your life."

He turned to her and smiled. She could hear the thugs yelling something.

" I don't mind dying if it's for a beautiful wolf like you," he smiled.

" What did you just call-" Blue started to yell but was cut short.

The Wolfman slammed into the wall again. Blue managed to jump out of the way of the attack this time.

Even still, he had that goofy smile on his face.

"Oh, awesome," he shouted looking upward at the rooftop.

There were three more wolves appeared on top of the building. One grey, one white and one brown.

Blue practically felt her heart burst out of her chest. She was so angry and everything was happening so fast so she didn't even know what to do. The thugs took notice of the wolves as well. They started shouting and the whirl of the strange weapons could be heard again.

There was one thing that was clear to Blue. She said it aloud,

" I have to live so I can kill all of them."

There was a loud "clank" and a strange gurgling "whoosh." Steam hissed out of a pipe, cloaking the area in steam.

Blue sighed in relief. She didn't know how it happened but she had cover to work with.

Blue squinted through the steam at some assorted drain pipes. She took a deep breath and hoped she wouldn't miscalculate her jumps.

A high jump through the air got her onto a shabby looking veranda.

Using the situation to her advantage, Blue scurried up the side of the building onto the roof.

She spun around and looked downward. Her eyes widened at what she saw. The Wolfman was gone but the now the thugs were fighting each other. They used the same weapons but their clothes were different. Some wore baggy ragged clothing while others wore hot looking suits of armor. The crests on their clothes were different too. Blue couldn't remember what they symbolized but she knew they were important to most people. Pops didn't care about any of that nonsense, so neither did Blue.

Blue tried to compose herself. She took a deep breath and started to brush bits of dried blood and dirt off her body. She looked straight ahead towards parallel rooftop, fully prepared to fight, only to be met with nothing. The wolves were gone. She'd accomplished nothing.

Blue dropped to the ground.

Lately, she had felt that something was wrong. Well, more wrong than usual. She couldn't use her guns and she felt strange. Worse of all she was hesitating to kill wolves. What would Pops think if he knew there'd been a wolf right in front of her and she'd hesitated? He'd be ashamed.

Blue was ashamed of herself. She questioned her and her promise. The wolf had tried to protect her.

"No, it has to be a mistake! Wolves kill people. They destroyed my family and if I don't do something who knows how many more they'll kill."

Blue's body shook in both rage and sadness.

She struggled to stand. Her body felt like a pile of mush lit on fire. She fell again

"No," Blue screamed. " I'm acting just acting foolish."

But he'd tried to protect her. It made no sense but a wolf had told her to run and had been willing to sacrifice his life for hers. He'd called her a " beautiful wolf."

" It has to be a lie," Blue sobbed. " I'm not a wolf. It's all nonsense.

Blue looked down at the ground, trying to steady herself. Her vision hazy, unfocused and full of tears. She felt pathetic. Even still, she wouldn't let herself give up.

" As long as I draw breath I won't stop."

Still, impossibly, the pleasant flower fragrance filled the air. Even though her anger and sorrow, the scent calmed her down a bit.

* * *

 _This a Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please Support the original manga and anime!_

 _Hello and thank you for reading! Happy Mothers Day! I consider Cher to be a sort of mother to Cheza but I didn't think that including Cher searching around for fit into the flow of this chapter. I'm done with my college semester and I'm really happy so I figured I'd cram some Noble/ Paradise/wolf lore into the story. Next chapter I'm going to cram even more in so get ready! Technically, this is the first time Blue and Hige have met in my fic 3 I ship those two so hard... This probably won't be the last time they talk. Every time I write from Hubbs point of view I feel bad for him. Like gosh man, give it up already. Honestly, I'm completely to blame, I'm a sucker from unrequited love..._

 _Anyway, feedback and likes and all that are greatly appreciated!_

 _See you guys next time!_


	21. Wolf's Rain Chapter 21: Convergence

**Wolf's Rain**

 **Chapter 21 - Convergence**

 _ ***Warnings for strong language, violence, and self-harm**_

 _ **\- Cheza -**_

* * *

Cheza couldn't remember much of what happened to her before. She was running out in search of the wolves and the next thing she knew she was doubled over on the ground in terrible pain.

There was a strange numbness that Cheza had only felt a number of times. When the scientists performed tests on her she experienced something similar to this. However, she'd never felt this much pain at one time. Her body was on fire. She couldn't run or cry out for help.

Cheza's vision was blurred by her tears and whatever strange power was affecting her. Still, she could see a tall man standing in the snow. He leaned in towards her, his blueish hair falling into his face. Cheza couldn't make out the man's face, however, it was covered by a strange white mask. Black feathers blew in the wind. The man's dark attire wasn't at all marred by the fast falling snow.

The man scooped Cheza up and started walking somewhere. Cheza wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She wanted to do something to get herself out of this situation. She wanted to squirm away from him but she still couldn't move.

The wolves were here, she'd finally felt their presence. Being forced to leave them made her sick.

Cher told Cheza not to go outside alone.

"Especially in the cities," she'd warned. "It's dangerous out there." Cher had never elaborated on what those dangers were but this had to be one of them.

" Surely," Cheza thought sometime before. " The outside world can't be so dangerous. It's filled with beautiful things and kind people."

Had Cheza been wrong before? This wasn't a good situation at all. Yet, she tried to see the positive in everything. There had to be an explanation to this. If only Cheza could speak, she could find the answers she desired.

The man didn't walk very far. Cheza hoped that this was all a misunderstanding. That he'd put her back down and the pain she felt would subside.

There was a loud whooshing sound and the clack of horse hooves. The man put Cheza down carefully. She fell slightly back into a wall. She was moving, probably in a wagon of some sort. The floors and walls were a soothing, warm to the touch wood. After spending time in the freezing snow, Cheza was grateful for this warmth. The floor started to tremble. The man sat across from her and slowly took off his mask.

Cheza's body didn't feel limp any more. That was great! The only problem was that now she was sure she was being taken away from the wolves.

Cheza's emotions overwhelmed her in the moment. She screamed so loudly that the wagon shook. The horses stopped and angrily bellowed. Her throat ached, her heart pounded, her eyes somehow filled with even more tears.

"No, no, no," Cheza screamed. She trembled and started to cry. " This one doesn't want to leave the wolves!" She felt so close to them now. All her hard work, all the work of the scientists who had helped her and the Nobles she was raised among would be for nothing.

She felt something hot on the side of her face. Her skin tingled in the same way it had before.

"Calm yourself," the voice was soothing yet firm; like the man's touch on her face.

Cheza coughed and recoiled, curling up into a little ball. She closed her eyes and took long deep breaths. Hysterics weren't going to get her anywhere.

" T-this one wants to find the wolves," Cheza said as she tried to hold back her tears.

" They are here… This one does not want to leave them. This one needs to stay with them!"

Cheza stared at the man's face intently. She had to reason with him at all costs. The longer she sat in this wagon the longer she'd be apart from the wolves.

The wagon began to move again. The man leaned back into the wall and sighed quietly. He was handsome in a sort of gloomy brooding sort of way.

One of his eyes were covered with a black eye patch. His uncovered eye was blue. He stared back at her, his hair fell back into his face. Stress and exhaustion showed plainly on his face. His eye was bloodshot and little bags were forming under it.

Cheza knew it was rude to stare but she couldn't just stop staring now. Wasn't it just as rude to stop staring now?

They continued to stare at each other.

But his presence was intimidating and unwelcoming. The look of him sent chills up her spine. He had a long sword sheaved to his side. It clicked over every bump in the wagon.

He exhaled loudly and closed his. Cheza gulped. Even still, it was impolite to show fear.

"Besides," Cheza thought, trying to reassure herself. "This one collapsed on the ground. Perhaps he was only trying to help."

A slight smile tugged at his lips. She wasn't sure why.

Cheza's eyes widened. She remembered who he was!

" L-lord Darcia!"

"Oh goodness," Cheza thought, flustered.

How could she forget? All the information she'd learned about him came rushing back in a huff. Lord Darcia III; grandson of a man by the same name who loved wolves. Lady Hamona's husband, Lady Jaguara's brother in law. He was one of the Nobles that was helping her, funding the project to find Paradise. Project Paradise. Darcia presided over a small city network near Black City, which was a long distance from here. It was a strange dark place. It matched Lord Darcia's appearance.

Cheza felt her cheeks turn pink in embarrassment.

" This is no way to dress in front of Lord Darcia," she thought.

She wasn't wearing anything remotely appropriate for a meeting with someone if such a high status. Her red tunic was covered in dirt. She was barefoot, which she liked because she was closer to the earth this way,

Cheza looked down brushed off her tunic. She could still feel the carriage moving. Further and further away from the wolves.

Darcia nodded ever so slightly and started to speak.

" Flower Maiden," his voice was somber. "Cheza. " The wolves are here, yes. However, it is not the time for them. They must wait as you must. Paradise is something that they must wait for."

Cheza couldn't help but frown at this.

" Something terrible is happening to this world." Darcia's expression darkened further. " These problems will only continue to grow. I… we need to do something before this world falls into complete ruin."

Cheza nodded to this.

She didn't quite understand what Darcia meant. However, the severity of his words was clear. How was the world going to fall into ruin and what could she do to stop it? The end of the world and the betterment of humanity were drastically different things.

Her whole life, Cheza had studied and trained to help the wolves find Paradise. In finding Paradise, she could make everyone's lives better. The wolves could be at peace. All the fighting in the world would stop. Cheza's very existence was for this purpose. Her green veins coursed with lunar flowers. Her vibrant red eyes glimmered with hope. Her pink hair wet from tears and snow.

The scientists would say that it was up to Cheza to make the prophecy come true. So would Cher. Whatever information hints Cheza could lock onto could be helpful in the future. It wasn't as if there was a book that taught you how to find Paradise. It could never be that easy.

Still, Cheza had he doubts. She wanted to see the wolves right now and she didn't see how impeding the ruination of the world should stop that.

"There is something else that I need from you," Darcia said moved closer to Cheza and he held his hand to her chin. "My wife is ill. She was stricken with something called Paradise Sickness. It's something that only can cure."

Cheza's reply was immediate. "I-if Lady Hamona is ill… this one will save her."

" Thank you," Darcia said with a faint smile. His eye glimmered. For a moment he looked happy and alive. But his gaze turned distant and forbidding again, like even he himself didn't want to be happy.

Darcia's appearance, his scent, his aura; they all reminded Cheza of something familiar. But it was a strangely twisted formality that made her feel uncomfortable. He was like that girl that she'd met before. The one who looked like a wolf at times and a human at other times. Cheza still hadn't figured out why that was. It bothered her. She wished she'd had the chance to talk to Cher about it. One thing was for sure, somehow, Darcia reminded her of a wolf.

* * *

The moon rose more times than Cheza could count on her wagon journey. She stopped counting after fifteen. The wagon stopped frequently and it was hard to keep track. Cheza always felt a little on edge. She still wasn't exactly used to traveling outside of her home. Besides, she'd only ever traveled with Cher. It was hard to travel with people she hardly knew to a location she'd never been to.

Cheza admitted to herself that she was intimidated by Darcia. His ways and mannerisms were frightening and strange. He had a maid with him. Her name was Alina.

Alina wasn't much for conversation, much like Darcia. The two of them were very reserved. Neither Alina or Darcia said much of anything to Cheza. She rode in the back of the wagon while the two f them were in the front. They weren't mean to her but she got the impression that they could be very scary if they didn't get their way. Still, Cheza believed in the goodness of people.

Darcia and Alina were both solemn and subdued as well. Cheza couldn't blame either of them. Seeing your loved ones develop an illness had to be unbearable.

Cheza had studied illnesses. Nothing as expansive as what Cher knew. But the Flower Maiden knew how to treat basic Illnesses with herbs and things of that nature.

Paradise Sickness was a foreign illness. She didn't know what she could do to cure it but she would try her best.

Cheza frowned.

What if her best wasn't good enough? It'd taken her long enough to find the wolves and she still hadn't technically found them yet. A woman's life depended on her. She didn't have the luxury or hoping and waiting, even though that was all she could do.

Cheza wished Cher was there with her. With all the books Cher read and all the knowledge at her disposal surely she'd have a solution to this problem.

The wagon moved quickly on the unpaved roads. Cheza didn't sleep at first. She felt uneasy, not knowing where they were going, and it wasn't as if she actually needed rest.

" Sleeping would make the time pass more quickly," Cheza thought to herself.

So she closed her eyes to try and rest but it wasn't for long.

Cheza kept waiting for the either Alina or Darcia to rest but it didn't look like they ever did. They got out of the wagon every once in a while. When that happened, there was usually a lot of screaming and blood being shed. The presence of violence made Cheza's skin crawl. She didn't dare ask what was going on. They were already in a bad enough mood as it was. Maybe, once they got to know Cheza better they'd explain what in the world was going on.

Nothing good could come from violence. Cheza hoped for the best, perhaps there was a simple explanation for this bloodshed

.

" They could be hunting," Cheza thought. Not that she wanted to see innocent animals killed but she knew it was the circle of life. Sometimes, humans had to kill to live.

Cheza's sense of dread never went away. The moon rose and set some more. More blood was spilled. There was still hardly any speaking. She could only assume that they were going to Lord Darcia's home. He'd never told her but that wasn't much of a surprise, Darcia hadn't told Cheza much of anything. She couldn't remember how far away Freeze City was from Black City or any other major hub so she could only guess how long their journey would be.

At times, Cheza peered out of the wagon. Darcia stood on a faraway hilltop. He was screamed, howling almost, in pain. Cheza closed her eyes and prayed that everything would be ok.

She was so afraid. She wanted to run away and cry somewhere. At the same time, Cheza had made a promise, to herself and to Darcia, that she would do her best to help Lady Hamona. She promised herself that she'd do whatever it took to help the wolves find Paradise and to make the world a better place.

More days passed. In the early morning, the wagon came to a loud screeching halt.

Darcia opened up the door and scooped Cheza up.

" You must hide your face," he said as he pulled her hood over her head and pushed her towards his maid.

" Go together for now," we will regroup once the fighting concedes.

"Yes milord," Alina said quietly with a slight bow.

Cheza followed her into the dusty town. She wasn't sure why she had to hide her face. Though she assumed it had something to do with her strange appearance. Cheza knew it wasn't natural. She couldn't guess how people would feel about her. Darcia and Alina must have to not wanted to draw attention to themselves.

Cheza did what she was told and hid her face. Darcia went off somewhere on his own. She watched as he slowly became a small black dot in the far away sandy void.

The road into the heart of the town was crowded Cheza enjoyed spending time around people, even though she didn't always get the chance to do so. She had her duties to fulfill. Even if she had no duties, Cheza knew that she wouldn't exactly blend into the "normal" human population. Cheza wouldn't have minded if, for only a short while, she could blend in with everyone else.

Cheza knew she wasn't quite human. While lunar flowers coursed through her veins she knew she wasn't a plant either. There was an affinity towards wolves coursing through her heart. Cheza hadn't ever seen a wolf. She'd had visions of them; she and the wolves happy together. That was why she truly wanted to help the wolves find Paradise. They'd be happy and because of their happiness would be happy.

Cheza would never be human, flower, or wolf. Striving to see everyone's happiness was her only wish.

Before Cheza had come to Freeze City, she considered herself inexperienced when it came to wolf tracking. She'd felt the presence of wolves there. She'd sensed their spilled blood. It horrified her. The next time she sensed wolves around her, no matter what Darcia said, she didn't want to leave them behind.

It was hot and sunny in Leesburg, which Cheza liked. But it was much too dry. Her body practically withered. Darcia had given her water before and some sort of meat, she was grateful for that. But with the sun blaring down on her and the sand practically blowing into her mouth Cheza felt kind of terrible.

Being in a new place was exciting. Cheza couldn't help but glance at people as she walked by, trying to catch a glimpse of people's everyday lives. She frowned. They didn't look happy.

Unhappiness seemed to be the least of these people's concerns. The city was under attack. Someone's scream made Cheza's ears ring. Metal scraped against metal. A strange mechanical whoosh filled the air. The smell of blood was so pungent that Cheza nearly gagged. But the population of the town didn't seem to bothered by it. People were shouting, running and boarding up their doors, sure. But it was as if the attack was simply part of a routine.

Cheza trembled and drew closer to Alina. The maid as looked completely unfazed by the situation. She wore a stern expression on her face and didn't say a word.

" What will we do," Cheza didn't know if she'd said or thought this. She wasn't sure what was going on anymore. Her tears dampened Alina's dress.

"Keep quiet," the maid whispered sternly.

Alina pushed herself and Cheza into a narrow alleyway. She steadied Cheza with her right hand and held a short sword in her left.

" Heavens knows where she was hiding that," Cheza thought.

Alina pushed Cheza down. She grabbed Cheza's tunic and pulled it over the Flower Maidens head.

"Don't move," Alina ordered.

Cheza could hear the sound of her receding footsteps.

Cheza didn't move, not voluntary at least. She started to shake and sob uncontrollably. Her tunic muffled her cry. She held her knees to her chest and tried to make herself as small as she could. This gave Cheza the appearance of a big red rock.

The fear and blood of humans drowned out everything, except for one thing. Hidden somewhere, there was the blood of wolves. Their scent lingered in this strange and violent place. Cheza's eyes widened. She could barely breathe. Here in this town, somewhere, there were wolves. Still, now, the way things were, she didn't dare move.

* * *

 _ **\- Kiba -**_

* * *

Kiba was so tired of these foul human infested places. Hige had nearly gotten himself killed, again, so there they all were, hiding in yet another sewer.

"Ugh," Hige groaned. "I can't believe we're hiding a sewer again."

No one was happy to be there, that was clear. Even Toboe seemed in lower spirits than usual. Though it was hard to tell with the smallish brown wolf at times. He'd spent most of his time fretting over Tsume. He was acting as if the grey wolves injuries were so terrible he shouldn't even be standing.

Tsume was his usual rude self.

" Would you rather us throw you back up there to get maimed?"

" No, of course not," Hige yelped. " But we shouldn't have left that other wolf out there by herself."

"Yeah, we should rescue her," Toboe chimed in.

" I'm not helping her," Tsume grumbled.

The shock and dismay showed on Hige and Toboe's faces. Kiba wasn't anywhere near as shocked as they were

"That's terrible" Hige groaned. " You should be ashamed!"

" I've met that wolf before," Tsume said without any sort of hint that he cared. " She tried to kill me."

" I thought you were telling us why we shouldn't help her," Kiba couldn't help but say.

"Listen," Tsume growled. " If you three want to help that bitch so much then get off your asses and do it."

That wasn't going to happen. Toboe looked scared out of his mind. Even if he wasn't, what could he hope to accomplish? While Hige did look determined to fight, he was injured. His injuries seemed to be mostly internal. Kiba could see the dried blood at his mouth.

That left Kiba who honestly had no excuse. Still, he wasn't sure he had the time to spare.

Kiba sighed as a shiver of guilt went down his spine. He didn't want to leave a fellow wolf behind. But every second he spent not looking for the Flower Maiden was wasted time.

"I'm sure she managed to get away..."

Kiba hoped.

" Besides," Tsume said as he walked towards the exit. " Porky's wounded. He wouldn't last another second up there, fighting those bastards."

Hige looked at the ground.

"You are?" Toboe shouted, already running over with his bandages.

"Of course he is," Tsume said with scathing disinterest. "Didn't you see him getting his ass kicked out there?"

Tsume sighed, " You'd think that you'd of realized that yourself, Runt. Considering you dragged me here to help Porky in the first place."

"Tsume I am not a Runt," Toboe shouted as he started to rub some herbs he found from God knows where on one of Hige's injuries.

Kiba stood up and followed Tsume.

"Where are you to going?" Hige asked, still trying to resist Toboe's invasive first aid.

"To find the Flower Maiden," Kiba replied simply.

" Stealing weapons" was all Tsume said.

They'd somehow ended up leaving together.

Tsume peeked out of the manhole and then slowly lifted it up. The streets reeked of blood. Kiba's nose was still polluted from the sewer so, blessedly, it wasn't too jarring.

People were still screaming, metal was still clanging; it was Freeze City all over again. It was a nightmare for Kiba's ears.

Tsume scaled the wall, using drain pipes and torn siding. Kiba followed suit.

The grey wolf looked down from the rooftop, disgust plainly showing on his face.

Kiba stared at him and almost started laughing.

" You were grumbling like that down there but you were the one who threw that knife.

" I was aiming for his head," Tsume replied, his eyes transfixed on a group of humans fighting in the streets.

"I didn't say you weren't," Kiba smirked. " I guess your aims just bad then."

Tsume didn't say anything, neither did Kiba. They listened to the sounds of the anguished humans. Kiba could hear a muffled cry. The flower scent from before hung in the air, battling against the egregious smells of the city.

Kiba's eyes widened. His fur frizzled.

His thoughts burst out of his mouth.

" The Flower Maiden is here."

Kiba ran as fast as his legs would take him. He climbed down the building the same way he'd climbed up. He could practically feel his heart pounding out of his chest. He wasn't sure where he was going what human-related crap he was running through. It didn't matter and he didn't care.

It was happening, or at least, he hoped it was. No, Kiba knew. He'd dreamed of her, day and night, so vividly that sometimes she really seemed real. But she was real and she was close to him. Somehow Kiba knew. Kiba was going to find the Flower Maiden, no matter what.

 _ **\- Blue -**_

* * *

Blue was truly starting to believe she'd gone crazy. When she looked down at her shadow it wasn't that of a young woman's that she saw but a young wolf.

Blue gagged.

She kept moving forward, quickly, to a destination unknown even to her. She jumped aimlessly from rooftop to rooftop. A feeling of helplessness wrapped itself around Blue's body.

Where would she go? What should she do?

Cher thought she was a wolf. Blue couldn't go back to her now.

The brown wolf that'd protected her? Could she join his pack?

No, she wouldn't bring herself to believe it. Believing that some wolves were good was already enough of a stretch.

To even consider partnering up with them was deplorable.

"I should be ashamed of myself," Blue thought angrily.

Pops would surely kill her.

Blue's body shook. She forced herself to breathe. She forced herself to live another moment in this accursed wolf body.

Pops would kill her but that might not be such a bad thing.

Blue wasn't sure she deserved to live at this point.

If God existed, if karma was real, this had to be their way of getting back at Blue for all she'd done.

She shook her head. " The wolves started it. They took my family away from me. I might end up in hell but they deserve to be there with me," her thoughts made her hair bristle.

Still, as much as Blue tried to convince herself, thoughts of death filled her mind. How easy would it be to miscalculate one of her jumps and fall to her death?

She knew any hunter worth his salt would kill her, she couldn't let herself die.

The thought still of killing all wolves still persisted in Blues mind. She clung to her vow of violence just as much as she clung to her newly found wish to be free of this curse.

"It's selfish to admit, I'm sure," Blue thought. " But I want to continue living, no matter what form I take. To complete my tasks and… just for my own selfish sake.

Traveling may be the only way to make her wishes come true.

Doubts continued to weigh Blue down as if someone had poured hot cement all over her body. Still, she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

" What exactly am I looking for," she asked herself.

Wolves, Cher, that strange girl who smelled of Flowers? Blue noticed she could smell the Flowers again. Cher would be delighted at this revelation. Blue herself felt a sense of calm and happiness from the girl. Maybe if she found the girl again, the Flower Maiden, she could find a way to free this curse.

Blue's excellent hearing came in handy again. Not too far away she could hear Cher's voice. She jumped quickly, from rooftop to rooftop, listening for the scientist's voice. After a while, she landed on what she thought was the right roof. Blue was tired and at this point, she could only hope that's where Cher was. Blue peered down from the side of the roof. The armored thugs were circling the perimeter.

Blue sighed. She didn't feel like another battle. Her body felt like crap.

She decided to take a gamble, jumping downward silently, towards the barricaded door.

"Cher," Blue whispered. Her voice sounded a lot more scratchy and harsh than anything else. " It's me, Blue. Let me in."

She heard the slamming of a book. Within the next second, the rubble shifted.

Cher's voice was as clear and even as it ever was. " The second you think you can fit through, proceed," the scientist ordered.

The second she could, Blue did what she was told.

She tumbled into the floor but quickly jumped to her feet.

A group of women was already moving the pile of debris back into place.

The who place was filled with scared-looking women.

" I think she's here," Blue said in her same foreign sounding voice as before

Cher was staring intently at her book. Blue wasn't even sure she'd heard her until she watched her place a bookmark in her book and nod. It was hard to see, especially in this low light, but Cher was smiling slightly.

" Don't let people in here! It's too risky," a woman shouted.

" It's fine, she looks like she's on death's door anyway," another woman whispered.

"Are they talking about me," Blue asked herself. She looked down at herself. She really did look awful. Covered in blood, fur, dust, and cuts.

Blue fell to the floor, involuntarily.

" Are you alright?" Cher asked in an almost concerned sounding tone.

"Y-yes" Blue croaked

"Good, we're staying here for a while. As I'm sure should be obvious. They're attacking."

Blue was painfully aware of this.

She hated hiding but she was glad she didn't have to do any fighting for now. Blue wanted to stay away. There were things she needed to tell Cher. She tried to fight it, but she found herself drifting to sleep. At least for now, she and Cher were safe.

* * *

 _ **\- Quent –**_

* * *

" Alright then," Quent said cracking his knuckles. " Are you sure your ready?"

Quent stopped the wagon by the side of the dusty road. His horses looked as tired as he did. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and looked up at the sky. A gloomy reddish moon had started to make its way into the sky. The air was still oppressively warm.

Quent was not looking forward to the journey down the mountain whatsoever.

" I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Hubb answered with a chuckle.

Quent rolled his eyes. He'd agreed to let Hubb tag along with him, because what choice did he really have in the matter. But he still wasn't all that thrilled at the current situation, to say the least.

Hubb was a nice enough man. Quent had no idea why he wanted to " find wolves for his work," as he'd said. He was a detective. It probably had something to do with the Nobles.

Quent didn't see the need to ask. Sure, there was a part of him that cared.

But the less Quent knew about the strangers that'd decided to travel with him, the better. Hubb asked enough questions for the both of them. He was polite and quiet enough most times but Quent could tell he'd some sort of scheme inside his head.

Still, Quent wondered.

" Why is someone else's life being consumed by wolves," he thought. "Did they take something away from him too?"

Take something away is an understatement though. The understatement of the century.

" Hey," Hubb half shouted. " Old man, why are we walking down this way instead of going down the main path in the wagon?"

Quent sighed and steadied himself. It was horribly rocky. The shifting sand made the mountainside ever more treacherous.

" Call me old man again and I'll shoot you in the throat."

Quent hadn't put any heat behind his threat. He hadn't meant it. But he'd been caught off guard. Quent thought, that after he left Blue, he'd be alone again forever.

"Yikes," Hubb yelped. The rocks behind Quent crackled loudly.

Reluctantly, Quent turned partially around, to watch Hubb slip on some rocks and regain his balance.

He sighed and looked towards the town. Nobles were everywhere. They'd closed off the main gates.

" Are you blind," Quent asked, rhetorically. " We won't be able to get in that way. They're killing each other. I'm not getting swept this bullshit."

" Well" Hubb started, a little irritation in his own voice this time. "Why are we bothering with this place then?"

" Wherever there is chaos… bloodshed…ruin they're likely to be there. Wolves are like a plague, thriving on bloodshed and violence."

They were a plague that needed to be wiped out, for humanity's sake. Quent thought of his family. Those that'd been killed by wolves. If he didn't travel around, killing all the wolves he could find, how many more innocent lives would be stolen?

Quent's thoughts shifted to Blue. He thought of her a lot. At least she was safe. The world could be a cruel place but Blue was strong. She could take care of herself. There had to be a life for her away from the horror and blood of wolf hunting. He hadn't wanted to leave her. She was the only family he had left after all. He loved her, but that was exactly why he'd had to let her go. Blue deserved a real life. One where she could learn to be happy again

Quent was to far gone. Killing wolves was his life now. Whatever blood he'd gotten on his hands was there to stay. He'd lived his life in happiness and peace for years. His past was gone, both literally and figuratively. All that was left was murder, violence and inevitably, his death.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the original authors. Well, sorry if there are_ to _many POV changes, I just had a lot of stuff to cover and no other way to cover it. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. Its taken a while but Darcia's finally here. I don't like him at all but I sort of feel bad for him. I mean, before he went insane and all that, he was just a normal guy who's wife got taken away from him. ...I feel like every chapter I put Blue through more crap. All in all, I feel that things are going to get worse for the characters before they get better. But at least everyone's in the same area now._

Comments,follows _and feedback is always appreciated!_

 _Happy early Memorial Day and_ se _you guys next time!_


	22. Wolf's Rain Chapter 22: Lost and Found

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 22 - Lost and Found**

 **-Kiba-**

* * *

Kiba had started to run like he always did when he caught wind of the flower scent. The city passed by him in a blur. The lingering scents and sounds of bloodshed and violence passing him by. It wasn't hard to hate humans, with their unnecessary squabbles. The bodies of dead humans and their various weapons littered the streets. It was a battlefield.

Kiba stopped. His eyes widened. His fur stood up on end. A movement in the alley caught Kiba's eye. He turned, suddenly face to face with a strange red object. The red lump moved. He stood, growling and baring his teeth.

Time froze. She stood up, in what felt like slow motion, and lifted her hood back. The Flower Maiden was there. Her face and arms were dirt covered. She was still the most wonderful sight he'd ever laid eyes on. Her scent made him deliriously happy. The sight of her, her otherworldly beauty, made Kiba'sheart race. He couldn't help but stare at her. Kiba wanted to burn her image into his mind. There were reddish bags under her eyes. Her cloak hung awkwardly around her. It was dirty. Covered in mud and sweat and blood. There was a lump in Kiba's chest.

"If someone had hurt her I'll-" Kiba's thoughts were angry and frantic but they were quickly interrupted.

"This one is so happy to see you," the Flower Maiden chimed. Every word she uttered was a wondrous song.

Kiba didn't have time to focus on her voice anymore. He didn't know when she'd done it. He hadn't blinked since he first laid eyes on her. She'd gotten close to him, her hands were on his face, their smoothness and warmth surprising him. She was smiling, as full and bright as the moon. Her eyes were the stars.

She was beautiful.

Kiba had said that in his mind, probably over a thousand times by now, but he hadn't said a single word to her out loud at all. His cheeks warmed. There 'd been so many things Kiba had wanted to say to the Flower Maiden in his dreams. Now that the moment was here he couldn't actually get the words out. Her words from seconds ago replayed in his mind. He savored every one of them. She was happy to see him. A smile crept over Kiba's face. His tail started to wag.

"I'm happy to see you too," Kiba managed to choke the words out.

The Flower Maiden's reply was immediate.

"This one is glad," she hummed.

She stared into his eyes and giggled. His heart skipped a beat. He only needed her. Kiba apparently had lost his ability to speak so the two of them continued to gaze at each other. It didn't seem like such a bad thing though. Just standing there, being with her. Who needed Paradise when he had her?

" What are you called? Er, what is your given name" The Flower Maiden asked as she stroked the side of Kiba's face.

Kiba was once again startled by the sound of her voice. Kiba's eyes widened even further somehow.

"Kiba," was all he said. For fear that he'd say something stupid.

The Flower Maiden hummed and nodded in acknowledgment.

" Kiba," she said slowly, thoughtfully. Kiba's heart raced at the saying of his name.

"Kiba is a fine name." Another nod. "This one is known as Cheza."

She took her hands off of him unexpectedly. Kiba frowned. She held a hand to her chest and held her tunic in the other. In a slow, graceful motion, the Flower Maiden bent her legs and lowered herself slightly towards the ground. She was curtseying. A human gesture he'd seen before.

Her tunic gusted a sudden gust of wind as she added: "this one hopes to lead you to Paradise."

Kiba's smile grew, his tail wagged harder.

Cheza was beautiful.

* * *

 **\- Tsume –**

 _10 minutes earlier –_

Tsume knew what he was doing was stupid, yet, he was doing it anyway. The grey wolf bounded into the warm dusty sky. He jumped from building to building trying to blend into the night. There were two hunters tracking Kiba. He'd been stupid enough to run through the city without any sort of camouflage. So here Tsume was, running the city, plotting a risky attack on hunters who'd hadn't seen him, trying to help Kiba. Tsume tried to make excuses. Why did he care if Kiba lived or died? Instinct? Possibly. Maybe. Probably. Unfortunately, Tsume knew that not to be the case. This was all Toboe's fault.

The only voices in Tsume's mind had been his own and one of his old pack members, telling him that he needed to be strong. Planning attacks, violence, those things came easily to Tsume. He knew how important being able to fend for oneself was. Yet, Toboe's voice was also there. The small brown wolves kindness and honestly invaded Tsume like some sort of plague. He'd been concerned about Tsume. Toboe's feelings didn't appear to be hidden behind some sort of agenda. The way he worried about Tsume's injuries and well being, it felt nice.

Tsume could tell this because he'd been like Toboe once. He'd felt a need to protect more than just himself. Tsume could vaguely remember a time when he cared about others like that

Caring only made things worse, Tsume tried to tell himself. Relationships fade, wolves get killed, resolve waivers, interest waivers. What was the use in putting faith behind another wolf pack? In caring for anyone else besides himself? It wasn't that big a deal. Tsume was dying for a fight and he could tell the hunters were tracking Kiba. It wasn't that much of an inconvenience to help him.

Toboe was weak. He was thoughtful and he tried to help others, even though he was unequipped to do so. What more could Toboe do to help any situation besides treating the wounds of those hurt after all the action was over? Tsume could tell he wanted to be strong. But the strength he wanted wasn't even for himself, it was to protect others.

Thinking about Toboe made Tsume sigh. If someone so unable to actually do anything in a fight wanted to help, then what sense did it make for Tsume not to help, when he actually could? Helping Kiba wouldn't cost anything. Tsume sighed again. He didn't know what he was thinking anymore. He'd helped the small bluish wolf escape. Wasn't that enough kindness? He didn't want to make whatever this was a having.

Either way, none of that mattered right now. Tsume was on the heels of the hunters and he couldn't let himself become distracted. He felt a warm sense of satisfaction. Tracking wolf hunters like prey. A cruel smile played on his lips. Something called in him to fight. Wither it was the moon rising up in the sky, the flower scent lingering in the air, or the voices of his insecurities didn't matter, Tsume was ready.

The two hunters were bickering about something. Well, from the looks of it, the shorter human was doing most of the talking. The larger older looking one had a limp. Tsume recognized both of these men. The skinny one was the Sheriff of Freeze City. The older man was the one who shot Tsume. The one who'd tried to shoot Toboe.

They stopped. Tsume quietly climbed down the side building. Where would he be without the elements of surprise?

Tsume crept beside towards the humans silently. The older had noticed him but then it was to late. Tsume broke out into a ran straight for the humans. He slashed at the detectives right leg. He cut deep enough that the wound made some impact. He didn't slow down, for fear of being kicked or stabbed himself Blood spilled onto the pavement. There wasn't any time to stop moving. The older human had raised his rifle towards Tsume, he was ready to shoot. The younger human was crouching on one knee, he gripped his pistol in his hand, he grit his teeth. Then he started to sneeze. The grey wolf veered the left. Tsume aimed his attack on the older human this time, throwing his knife stomach. The older human dodged. He made the slightest movement possible to get out of the knives reach. Tsume's attack missed as he expected and planned. The knife fell onto the ground with a clack. Tsume jumped up towards the man rifle hand. He bit down hard on his arm. The rifle fell to the ground. Blood trickled into Tsume's mouth, it tasted like victory.

The man tried to shake Tsume off, he let go, using the momentum of the man's shove to propel him backward. Tsume had to give credit where it was due. The hunter didn't so much as touch his wound. He was as good at hiding pain as Tsume was. The other hunter was still sneezing. He stared at Tsume, wide-eyed like he'd never seen wolf before. He gripped his gun but didn't shoot. Tsume didn't want to stick around and find out if he was going to shoot him. He started to run.

The old Tsume, the one from Freeze City, wouldn't have been satisfied with this. Both humans were wounded, both of them slowed down enough that they weren't really a threat. Tsume could've killed them both. Why didn't he? Why had he stopped? Why was he running away with only the taste of blood in his mouth and splattered on his muzzle? He could have ripped their throats out and painted the streets with their blood. He should have killed them. What was wrong with him?

Tsume didn't need to search hard for the answer. This, all of this, was Toboe's fault.

* * *

 **-Blue –**

* * *

Blue awoke to the sound of bickering women and metal scraping. She scrambled to her feet quickly. There was sand in her mouth. For a second Blue forgot where she was. Well, she didn't exactly know where she was. Some sort of a safe house, perhaps? But Cher was there and that was a little reassuring. Blue still felt sleepy. She didn't know how long her nap had been. There was a lump of regret in her throat, along with the weight she felt for shouldering this curse. Blue didn't have the right to rest. There were still some thugs outside this fortress that the women had created in this dusty town. The only reason Blue had overlooked her and Cher's safety was that she'd been so exhausted. Blue was still exhausted. Her problems were piling up on one another.

" Oh," a woman exclaimed, her skin was pale and her eyes were a strange green. She looked sickly, not that Blue had the right to judge anyone's appearance.

" Sleeping beauty's awake."

The room grew silent. The bickering stopped. Blue was certain that they'd notice a wolf was amongst them. Perhaps they'd all run away and leave her alone. Or they might put her out of her misery and kill her. They simply stared at her like she was one of them. Blue couldn't delude herself into thinking that she was, after everything that'd happened.

" Well I guess it'll be easier for to move by herself," another woman responded. " Theirs enough we have to contend with as it is."

Now that Blue had the chance to look around, he realized how strange this building was. The walls were overgrown with moss. On the ceiling was the moon in various phases. It was a whole mural. Even though it was comprised entirely of moss Blue could make out planets, the sun, and stars. She remembered how Pops showing her how to use the stars as a guide, if she ever got lost in the wildness. There were several machines in the corner. The same lunar symbols were carved onto them. The large metal objects, whatever their purpose, looked strange in this organic forest like place. The women her were strange too. They wore light green robes with small light pink flowers stitched in various places. Some of them wore loose headscarves. The ones that were all taking the headscarves off and using them to wrap things in. Bread, canteens, small metal objects- they were packing up and getting ready to move. Blue thought they might be related to the Flower Maiden in some way. However, these women didn't have the same scent as the Flower Maiden. They didn't have the same kind and gentle aura she had. They weren't her.

A young chestnut hair colored woman was starting at Blue. When she met the woman's gaze she seemed startled. Instead of looking away, the woman smiled a very kind and genuine looking smile. Blue looked away, suddenly feeling awkward. She scanned the room for Cher.

The scientist stood in the corner of the room, staring off into space. Her eyes looked heavy and the little color that she held in her cheeks had disappeared.

The women all stayed silent, save for a couple whispers of how they were in a hurry or they felt relieved by Blues waking up. Blue swore she heard one of the women whisper something about there " truly being a wolf amongst them."

Blue felt the lump her chest grow. Did they expect some sort of explanation out of her? Because, as much as she wanted to say something, to make all this uncertainty go away, Blue couldn't find the words. She hadn't a clue where she would begin, where to end. The tightness in her chest and heaviness of her body was unpleasant. Somehow, the thought of explaining what had happened to her felt like it would be much worse. Blue didn't want to face whatever truth it was that she was doomed to herself. She had no desire in sharing her hardships with anyone else.

Mercilessly, someone else started to talk.

" We're all fleeing from this place," the green haired women said. " You are welcome to come with us. Your friend there is," she said motioning to Cher. Blue wouldn't exactly call Cher her friend but she was too tired to argue.

Cher nodded, seemingly out of her trance. She seemed more alert now. There was still a look of distress on her face. Or maybe Blue was imagining this.

The green haired women motioned the large Persian rug on the floor. It took four of the women to roll it back. The rug revealed a large rocky hand-dug tunnel.

Blue wavered. It didn't seem safe. Women had already started going through it. Cher drew closer Blue and the hole.

With newly felt concern, Blue asked Cher if she was feeling alright.

Cher looked off into the distance and then leaned in towards Blue.

" These women say they knew where Cheza is," she whispered. " There's something… off about them. We'll need to proceed with caution. "

Cher didn't have to tell her twice. It was also a relief to know that, for the most part, Cher was alright. They both went slowly down into the hole in search of the Flower Maiden Cheza.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading! This is a Wolf's Rain fanfiction. Please support the original author'is feedback is, of course, appreciated!_

 _Well, here's chapter 22... It was supposed to be longer but I wasn't feeling well and I had/ have some family issues that I needed to help out with. If its one good thing that happened in this chapter, it's that Kiba and Cheza finally meet. They are so cute together 3 Tsume's starting to realize theirs more to life than just killing people. Cher and blue are back! There will (hopefully) be a longer chapter next time._


	23. Wolf's Rain Chapter 23: Flower Maidens

**Wolf's Rain**

 **Chapter 23 - Flower Maidens**

 _\- Toboe –_

* * *

The silence that'd fallen on Hige and Toboe was broken by a loud scraping sound. Toboe's head snapped towards the entrance. They both scrambled to their feet. When it was just the two of them, things didn't seem so safe.

Tsume appeared. Toboe smiled. Tsume scowled as he jumped to the ground. Blood dripped coated his every step. His muzzle and his paws mostly. It was obvious that he'd been in a fight.

Toboe retched. His chest was tight. The air caught in his lungs. Water filled his eyes. The thought of Tsume being injured was dreadful. The sight of him covered in blood and cuts was even worse. Sure, Tsume was moving fine. He lied about his injuries before. As frightening as all of this was, Toboe was relieved. At least Tsume was alive.

Before Toboe knew what he was doing, he took a step forward, trying to be by Tsume's side.

" Tsume, are you ok," Toboe asked. He thought he sounded pathetic. That was a dumb thing to ask. Of course, he wasn't. So he kept talking. " What happened to you?"

Toboe expected Tsume to say something snippy. Tsume glared at him. " I'm fine. The blood… most of it… isn't mine." His voice sounded far away like he couldn't care less about what was happening. Which was how he always sounded. Normal Tsume's indifference was a comfort.

Tsume turned away back toward the exit.

" We're leaving now." Toboe didn't think he imagined the fear in his voice.

"Well hold on a second," Hige protested. " You can't just go barking out orders like that. We can't leave. It's a bloodbath out there. The humans are fighting each other. And you're covered in blood."

Tsume turned back around, his jaw tight and his eyes narrow. " The humans are gone. They killed each other off." He laughed coldly.

Sometimes it scared Toboe, how much Tsume hated humans. Toboe could understand the nobles. He must have had some bad experiences with him. But when Toboe thought of Granny and the other kids at the orphanage he couldn't bring himself to believe all humans were bad.

" And I killed the rest of them," Tsume said. Like it wasn't even a big deal.

Toboe gulped. For a second the look in Tsume's eye was so frightening that he thought Tsume might rip his throat open.

" Kiba was leaving," Tsume went on to say. He started to walk back towards the exit. " I'm not staying in this sewer a moment longer."

Tsume pushed out back into the street, leaving Toboe and Hige. The two remained wolves stared at each other, both trying to figure out what to do.

Hige shrugged, " I guess it's fine." He started towards the grate.

Toboe didn't want to go back onto the bloody streets. But it would be even worse to get left all alone. He didn't know if there was anything he could do. He did know that he'd rather be near Tsume, Kiba, and Hige then by himself.

Tsume moved silently through the blood-filled streets. Toboe waited for him to slow or reveal that his injuries were indeed hurting him, but he never did. Hige struggled to keep up. Maybe it was the raw emotion of the situation but Toboe felt his strides to be quicker than they usually were.

They left the city behind. Hige protested when Tsume started to climb a steep cliff side. Still, both Hige and Toboe managed to follow. Tsume was moving with a sense of urgency that Toboe didn't fully understand.

They walked towards the outskirts of the town until it was actually a bit away. Kiba was laying down next to a bush. Toboe gulped. Was Kiba injured too? As they drew closer he saw someone sitting next to Kiba. A girl with a red cloak hung around her shoulders. Toboe realized that the strange posture Kiba was laying in wasn't pain or death. It was relaxation. Kiba sat next to the girls' side, smiling and breathing in a slow peaceful rhythm. This was the first Toboe had ever seen Kiba look so relaxed. The white wolf yawned and opened up his eyes dreamily. He didn't get up

The girl turned to face Toboe and the others. It was apparent as to why Kiba was so relaxed. At that moment, Toboe realized, that girl was the Flower Maiden.

It was undisputed. The flower smell in the air, her gentle smile, the genuine warmth he felt from her. Peace practically radiated out from her.

Toboe smiled. Hige grinned. Even Tsume's usual look of indifference seemed a little less harsh.

The girl's smile grew. Toboe and Hige inched closer to her. She made a motion for them to come closer to her with her hand. Toboe needed to get closer to her. Tsume hung back awkwardly. Toboe glanced at him and was about to say something but decided against it. Eventually, everything became a blur. The Flower Maiden's scent enveloped him. She was saying something but he had a hard time focusing on her words. The next thing Tobor knew he was sound asleep.

* * *

 _\- Blue –_

Traveling underground was a new and unpleasant experience that she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. Blue laughed at this. Well, it wasn't quite a laugh, more like a sharp expulsion of air. The irony of it all. Right now she was her own worst enemy.

The women with green hair from before lead the group through the small crudely dug tunnel. Even now and then she could some rocks settle, which made some of the women jump. For now, all Blue could hope for was to make it above ground alive. She glanced over at Cher who, as far as she could tell, had literal tunnel vision for the Flower Maiden. Blue had been around Cher long enough to observe her slight facial differences when she was upset or curious. Cher pressed her lips together into a thin line and every once in a while she saw her smooth her hand over the book she carried with her.

Blue wasn't in a position to judge. She kept doing the same thing with her knives. She kept touching them, reassuring herself that if this was an elaborate trap that she'd be ready. As reluctant and skeptical as she was; Blue hoped it wasn't. She'd come too far to end up getting dead now. She needed to find someone who knew why she'd turned into a wolf.

They walked and walked for what felt like hours. Blue started to believe that they weren't moving at all and had gotten trapped in time somehow. Still, sand shifted, rocks fell out of place, someone's stomach growled, a few of the girls started openly sobbing.

Then the ground was mossy and cool. The change was so sudden that Blue almost jumped. The whole tunnel was green and as they kept walking it was peppered with small white flowers. Blue breathed in the scent greedily. Her thoughts slowed. There was something familiar about all this. This was the scent of the girl from before. She'd found the Flower Maiden.

The group walked a little further ahead until they came to some large rocks. They started to climb, one by one, using the rocks as steps. Blue'd never been so relieved to see a rock before in her life. Cher moved more quickly then Blue had ever seen her move. The group emptied out into a large moss covered carven. It was pitch black. Blue's heart skipped in both excitement and dread. Her body tensed. She was ready to fight if need be. Strangely, Blue noticed she could actually see somewhat in the dark, much better then she remembered. At least being a wolf had some perks.

Blues ears pricked as she listened to the hushed whispers of one of the women.

"Miss," the woman said, "we brought some believers."

Blue assumed they were talking about her and Cher. Though she wouldn't call herself a " believer" she didn't object.

Another woman spoke. " Ah," she said. Her voice soothing and rather melodious.

" Light a fire if you would. This one wants to see their faces."

The woman had the same speaking pattern as the girl Blue had met before. She knew it wasn't the same person though. The similarities were striking and they made Blue wonder if there was more then one Flower Maiden.

Two nervous sounding women fumbled around in the dark. The room was alight with torches. Strange dark contraptions kept the flames at Bay. The amount of fire in the room set Blue further on edge. It reminded her of her parent's death. She despised fire. It was to close to her and it made her skin crawl. The smoke got caught in her lungs and she coughed, trying to focus on the flower scent. The cave was covered in moss. Nothing was more frighting then being in a closed room with a bunch of people and flammable material. There weren't any exits to be seen.

"Any second now," Blue thought frantically, " this place will catch fire and I'll be trapped in it once again."

Blue grit her teeth. She could always go back through that God-forsaken tunnel. Even if there weren't any exits, even if this was a trap, Blue would find a way out. She's made an exit if she had to.

She tried desperately to hold onto something in order to calm herself down. Blue had to keep herself calm or she wouldn't be able to do anything if a problem arose.

The woman's face, the women that she presumed was the Flower Maiden was sitting on a pile of dried leaves. Her skin was just as dried and withered as the leaves. She looked as dry and brown as dirt and twice as old. Still, bits of her younger former self-bit through. Her hair was the same shade of pink as the younger Flower Maiden. Her smile was calm and gentle, She wore a light green cloak like the other women who'd brought Blue and Cher over.

Blue decided on her own that this woman had to be a Flower Maiden.

The realization that Blue had been staring at her for far too long. Blue's cheeks reddened. Now it would be awkward to look away. Not that she really want to stop looking anyway. She did tear her eyes away for a moment to look at Cher who stood with her usual cool gaze trained on the Flower Maiden.

The fire that'd seemingly gone off in Blues chest was just as nauseating as the fires that illuminated everyone's faces. She felt her heart race and her legs take an involuntarily step towards the Flower Maiden. She stopped herself and started to tremble. Her wish for something, anything to break the nerve-wracking silence they'd gotten themselves into was soon fulfilled.'

"It is good to see you both," the Flower Maiden said with a nod. As if they'd been friends for years.

She grinned wildly. " This one's name is Hanabito. What are the two of you called?" She pointed one of her long wrinkly fingers at Blue.

Blues said her name so quickly and quietly that she didn't even recognize the word come out of her mouth. She worried that she'd said nothing at all. Then she worried that this was all some mad delusion and she was still back in the safe house with Cher. Or maybe, if she was lucky, back at the farm with Pops. But when had luck ever been on Blues side?

"Blue," Hanabito said, the sound of her name snapping her back to reality. " Blue is a fine name. It suits you, blue being the color of your fur." Hanabito cackled.

Blues eyes widened. She thought she'd be used to this strange topic of conversation by now, but she wasn't. Each time someone called her a wolf or anything of the sort Blue felt a knife plunge into her heart. She knew she had to be imaging it but she could taste her rage.

Hanabito's voice melted the rage away.

" You are at war with yourself, young one. Perhaps, it would be valuable to look within yourself before seeking answers."

Her rage rekindled.

"Who said I'm looking for answers from you?"

Blue didn't know why she said that. She was looking for answers. She cursed herself for being so hot-headed and childish. There was something about this woman that made Blue want to be more polite and calm. She breathed in because she didn't actually remember breathing since she first saw Hanabito's face. She breathed out. She could hear gasps and whispers from the women around her. They'd probably been whispering about Blue since she first came in. " Here comes the wolf girl freak show," and things like that.

Hanabito smiled at Blue like she knew that what Blue had said was only a lie. She laughed again and shook her head, ever so slightly that it seemed she was moving in slow motion.

" No one, this one supposes. However, this one also knows that wolves do not come here unless they are seeking something." Hanabito's gaze shifted to Cher.

" No one does."

Cher gasped. Or maybe Blue only imagined it.

" What are you called child?" Hanabito's voice was still a pleasure to listen to

" My name is Cher Degree." Cher's voice was unsurprisingly cold.

" Cher Degree. That is a fine name. You are a scientist, yes?"

Cher's white lab coat gave away any chance of deception.

With some hesitation, Cher said yes.

The women around the three of them whispered things. Things about not letting anyone take their "Miss" away from them.

Blue really was starting to think a fight was going to break out.

Cher's jaw tightened. Something flickered through her eyes.

Hanabito's eyes widened. She gasped and moved back slightly on her pile of leaves. They crunched under her softly.

" If what you seek is to take this one back with you then-" fear caught in her voice.

Blue jumped and her body tensed. She didn't want to see Hanabito upset.

She shouted, " This one will not go." Her voice lowered to a whisper. " Never back to that dreadful place."

It suddenly became apparent to Blue that everyone besides her was aware of something that she wasn't. She felt like taking one of the whispering women aside and forcing them to tell her what was going on. Instead, Blue did what she'd been doing for a while now. She waited. Eventually, someone would say something that made sense to her.

Cher shook her head, quickly, almost violently. Strands of her hair fell out of her bun and onto her neck.

" I'm not," she yelled, full of a rage that Blue'd never seen.

This set some of the women on edge. They drew next to Hanabito.

Hanabito didn't seem to be fazed by this. Her shoulders loosened. Cher's denial must have been all the reassurance she needed.

" Listen I-" Cher said, still yelling, talking slowly. Then she took a breath and shook her head against. Her voice softened, then her voice was quick and frantic.

" I need to know-" A look of desperation flashed through her eye.

" I need to know," where Cheza is. The Flower Maiden. The other Flower Maiden. I thought that maybe… maybe you knew. Maybe you were connected to her or something. I thought that she was here. Not you. I'm not trying to hurt you or drag you back. But I need to know where she is."

The whispering stopped. Blue had never seen or heard Cher so emotional. She blinked a few times to see if that was really her.

" I need to-" Cher's voice was hoarse. She was on the verge of tears from the sound of it.

" Find her."

Hanabito pressed her lips together. She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. It was a long time before she spoke and each second that went by felt like an agonizing knife cut.

" This one has long since stopped being a Flower Maiden." She laughed but there was something dark behind it. " Those days were over before they even began. However, Cher Degree, this one believes she may be of help to you and your wolf friend Blue."

Hanabito took another long breath and closed her eyes.

"This one recently had a vision. A vision that will benefit everyone. For now, all there is to do is wait. Stay as long as you like. Everyone is welcome here."

* * *

Hello! Thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Wolf's Rain does not belong to me. Support the original author!

I uploaded this chapter but then I found the longer chapter that I wrote hidden in a folder on my flash drive so here's chapter 23 updated!

The title being "Flower Maidens" because Hanabito is here! I don't know why exactly, but I've always wanted to put her in this fanfic. Her and Cher have some issues to work through this time around... Cheza and the boys are there just chilling on the outskirts of town. It's kind of a recipe for disaster but they have their peace for now.

Feedback and follows are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next time!


	24. Wolf's Rain Chapter 24 - Distrust

Wolf's Rain Chapter 24 - Distrust

* * *

Tsume –

A pool of sand was forming in Tsume's mouth. He spat, standing awkwardly in the shifting sand. It was too hot to be out in the desert with no shade. The other wolves sat close to each other and the Flower Maiden; if that's who she really was.

Tsume suddenly longed for the crisp winds of his old pack. Even the icy cold streets of Freeze City would have been better than this. Outside of Lesburg was nothing but rough sand, blazing sun, and foolish wolves.

Tsume's natural cynicism clung to him as strongly as the raging sand. He watched the other wolves curl up to the supposed Flower Maiden's side. There was a part of him that wanted to be there as well. Tsume quickly disregarded those feelings. Or at least he tried to.

Being near her felt nice which wasn't a good thing, considering she was a human. Still, as Tsume watched the other wolves gathered around her, an emotion he wasn't all that used to feeling welled up. Tsume was jealous.

Everyone was sleeping so peacefully and Tsume was so tired. He couldn't bring himself to get any closer to her which was why he'd moved away from the rest of the wolves in the first place.

But it really did feel nice being around her, almost peaceful. Her effect on him was strong. While he didn't want to believe it he was sure that she was the Flower Maiden. But Tsume knew better than to trust her.

Humans couldn't be trusted.

Tsume rolled his eyes and sat down in the sand. If they wanted to do something stupid like that together then let them. But someone had to watch over these fools. So Tsume stayed awake, not fond of sleeping in the company of strangers.

There was always a chance that the Flower Maiden would try to stab him in his sleep. Toboe sat close to the Flower Maiden's side. His tail wagged softly, his paws moved. A goofy looking smile crept across his face.

These observations went on for a little longer until Tsume started to smile back. His gaze frantically darted to Toboe's eyes. They were still closed, pleasant dreams surely floating around in his mind.

Tsume pawed at the ground impatiently. He thought of waking everyone up but decided against it. So he laid down and got ready for a long, boring time.

Tsume hadn't remembered closing his eyes. He must have drifted off as well. He opened his eyes and stood slowly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Toboe was staring in his direction, smiling. Tsume glared back and headed towards the other wolves.

Toboe bounded over, meeting Tsume halfway, a smile spreading across his face

Tsume stopped and waited, still annoyed at himself for falling asleep. He shouldn't have let down his guard. If he wasn't careful he'd end up dead.

" Tsume! Tsume, we found the Flower Maiden," Toboe shouted.

He stopped, his tail wagging and his eyes as wide as saucers.

They were inches apart from each other, which was much too close.

" We found her!" Toboe continued to shout. His tail wagged at a ridiculously fast rate.

"Her name is Cheza and she's really nice. She said she can take us to Paradise."

Skepticism rolled over Tsume like a wave. The grey wolf sighed. The corners of Toboe's mouth curled downward.

"This is a good thing," Toboe said as he stared at the ground."I thought you'd be happy." He looked into Tsume's eyes and made a sort of whimpering noise.

Tsume groaned at Toboe's outward enthusiasm. Tsume thought for a moment, considering his issues.

He wasn't unhappy. If he went to Paradise he could finally prove his old pack wrong. He wouldn't need to keep looking over his shoulder, wary of death and betrayal. That was the problem though. He couldn't stop looking. Violence and misery follow him wherever he went.

" In case you haven't noticed," Tsume shrugged. "Happiness isn't really my thing, Toboe."

He started towards the Flower Maiden trying his hardest not to fall under her sway.

" No," Toboe said out even though, in Tsume's mind, this conversation was already over. He moved in front of Tsume and now they were only inches apart.

"It's just, um," Toboe looked away as if he was only realizing how awkward all of this was.

"...Well," he finally said," you're a wolf."

" Really?" Tsume rolled his eyes. "I never noticed."

" Tsume, seriously." Toboe's eyes widened then he started to smile again.

"What I mean is... we're all wolves and this is what we've all been waiting for."

A sudden frown formed on his face. He drew closer to Tsume and spoke in a hushed tone. Toboe's constant emotional changes were exhausting.

Toboe's ears flattened down. "I know that things haven't been easy for you. But things will be better soon."

Tsume's voice lowered as he spoke.

" I think that things would be a lot better if you weren't so damn trusting of people." He heard Toboe whimper.

"She's a human, Toboe." Tsume heard Cheza giggling in the distance. He nearly threw up.

I know you don't mind being around humans… which is irritating, to say the least. But you shouldn't be that trusting of anyone. We can't blindly follow her wherever she decides to go."

He turned, watching Hige's wagging tail, Cheza's smile, and the excitement that flickered through Kiba's eyes.

" And you shouldn't trust me either," he said in a lowered tone.

Toboe opened his mouth but nothing came out. Hige's tail stopped for a moment. The wagging resumed as he started to yell.

" Hey, are you guys ready? We've been waiting."

Tsume almost laughed. They were just standing there, goofing around. How much waiting could they have possibly been doing?

Still, the group started walking. Cheza took the lead. Tsume wasn't sure how good an idea it was at that. She was walking at such a slow pace that they'd probably die in the desert before they reached anywhere of significance. Tsume stayed in the back, watching the others converse, every once in a while, looking over his shoulder.

Kiba's voice was so soft and gentle that Tsume hardly recognized it. He really was in love with her or something.

Tsume nearly threw up for the second time today. Kiba's tail wagged slowly as he asked Cheza if she wanted him to carry her. She agreed and the five of them continued on their journey, moving slightly faster.

Eventually, the group stopped under a small area of trees. Cheza looked wilted. They agreed to wait until nightfall when it would hopefully grow a little cooler.

" So you really can take us to Paradise?" Hige practically shouted at Cheza. This was probably the seventh time he'd asked, Tsume stopped keeping track.

Hige and Toboe's unending chattering was slowly driving him insane.

Every once and a while, Toboe glanced at Tsume when he thought he wasn't looking.

" Yes," she nodded her head. " This one will try." She smiled lightly

" How are we supposed to get there?" Toboe inquired.

Cheza hummed and looked off into the distance. She wasn't sure, he could tell.

" You can't put your faith in anyone, especially humans," Tsume thought to himself.

A minute passed where everyone was silent and Tsume relished it. In that silence, he thought of his problems again. It was hot and he hadn't eaten anything in days probably. At the same time, because of her, he felt more peaceful then he usually did, but he shook that thought out of his head.

" Before the four of you… well, there was that wolf girl from before. Hmm then there was also-," She muttered under her breath and then stopped mid-sentence much to Tsume's annoyance.

" No," Cheza said as she shook her head.

"You four were the first," this one had never met wolves before." She nodded," Paradise is a mysterious place, but together we will find it."

What girl from before? Still, he listened to her intently. As irritating as it, this wasn't really any less irritating then what they'd spent their time doing before, wandering around looking for Paradise. Following a smell or a feeling that ended up almost getting them killed. At least this time, supposedly, they were traveling with someone who knew something about Paradise.

" Why do you care about what happens to us? Tsume thought to himself.

He stared at Cheza for a moment but decided against talking.

What Cheza said next horrified everyone.

" But we must make way to Lord Darcia's territory. This one made a promise to help him. A promise that must be kept at all costs."

This was of course, why Tsume didn't trust humans.

The mention of a Noble's name made Tsume's skin crawl. Still, for now, he kept his feelings to himself. For some reason, the other wolves did the same. There were lots of things he wanted to ask Cheza, but he decided against it for the time being. He wasn't really sure how he felt himself. Hopefully, Cheza could give them an explanation that wasn't riddled with strange and unclear wording choices.

* * *

Cher -

Cher was lead into another room by Hanabito's group of nervous women. Cher blinked a few times and took some deep breaths. She had to stay calm. Things were already bad but they'd only get worse if she started freaking out. Blue was sulking in another corner of the room. Cher felt like she was doing something wrong again, repeating some terrible pattern.

These revelation's blindsided her. She stood next to a wall trying not to attract too much attention to herself. She'd done enough of that already. Her thoughts and emotions were tangled together in an uncomfortable mess. Cher didn't know why, but the memory of her kicking Hubb out of her lab flashed through her mind.

" I just want to help you," he'd shouted at her.

Cher had been in a daze then. She couldn't remember what she had said or done before. Only that she shoved Hubb out the door and went about her business. She might have cried then, she couldn't remember. Cher definitely felt like crying now.

The group of women started to funnel back out of the room, leaving Cher and Blue on their own. Cher watched as Blue started straight towards her, a scathing expression on her face.

" Cher," Blue said, her voice a harsh whisper. Cher had anticipated her anger and questions she just wished she didn't have to answer them.

" What in the hell is going on, Cher?"

" That's what I'd like to know," Cher almost said. She almost laughed and at the same time, she almost started to cry.

A sharp, drawn-out breath, and then Cher replied. " All of this has been going on for a while."

Blue leaned in next to her, waiting.

" Before I got involved in my Paradise research, there were others," Cher continued, slipping into the voice she used when having to explain her research to others.

" Cheza didn't simply appear overnight you know. We put a lot of effort into making her who she is today."

She paused, thinking of Cheza's carefree attitude. Her positively and her smile. It truly was a blessing that Cheza couldn't remember any of the tests they'd put her through.

" Cheza wasn't the first. There were others, like Hanabito, who the other scientists considered failures. I don't know how she's still alive but… she is… somehow"

Cher watched a few of the women shuffle along through the room to their next location. They glared at her the whole way through.

" At first, they didn't know what they were doing. It was all a huge shot in the dark. People suffered for it. At first… it was just a scheme to pacify the Noble's greed and curiosity. "Though," Cher added, " the greed and curiosity of the scientists was just as terrible."

A moment passed. Cher sighed and patted her notebook.

" The Nobles want her for their own reasons. I'm sure you and the other wolves have your own reasons for involving yourselves in all of this. Who would want to stay in this hell hole of a world when you could go to a fantasy world straight out of a storybook."

Cher looked into Blue's eyes and smiled faintly.

" But normal humans are different. All anyone cares about is money." She shrugged, " And why shouldn't they? You can't do anything without it. … But my reasons are different, to say the least."

Her smile grew a little.

" I'm not a wolf, obviously. There's no real reason for me to care so deeply about Cheza and all of this. But at this point… I don't think I can stop until I know that Cheza's safe. Presumably, the only place for her is Paradise."

She sighed, and her smile faded.

"I've done terrible things and I can't take any of them back. If we can find Cheza, maybe… maybe I can fix things."

Cher and Blue sat together for a while until Blue broke the silence with another question.

" So what are we going to do now?'

" I'm thinking about it. But... I'm tired of wandering around though, so for now, we'll wait."

* * *

Hello and thank you for reading my Wolves Rain fanfiction! None of these characters or anything belongs to me. Support the original authors! When I started writing this chapter I forgot about the forth of July and that I'd be on vacation and so... this chapter didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to but its here at least. Ever so slowly... the characters are getting together. Tsume's and Cher's outlooks on the world are always interesting to write from.

Thanks for reading! Feedback and follows are always appreciated!


	25. Wolves Rain Chapter 25 - Waver

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 25 - Waver**

 _Kiba-_

* * *

Kiba's ears rung from Hige's constant shouting. His paws felt uneasy atop the sand. Even at dusk, it was unbearably hot.

"What do you mean you have to help Lord Darcia?" Hige yelled. " Why in the world would you want to do that? He's not a good guy Cheza, none of the Nobles are.

Cheza's eyes widened and she frowned. Which caused Kiba to frown. He didn't want to see Cheza depressed. At the same time, he had to admit that Hige made a good point. If only he could make it a little less loudly. Toboe seemed to wince every time Hige shouted. Everyone was excited and a little on edge by Cheza's appearance. Except for Tsume who glared at Hige every once and a while but otherwise didn't seem to care too much about anything.

But the facts were simple. You couldn't trust humans and you especially couldn't trust Nobles. Kiba's ears flattened. He didn't want to see Cheza sad, even if he totally disagreed with her. It only seemed to dawn on Kiba now that Cheza was really a human. He stared at her for a moment, her small frame leaning against a pile of rocks that looked enormous beside her.

Cheza was a human. She was small and friendly, and a comforting presence but she was one of the things he hated most. The stories his pack told hadn't warned Kiba of this. He knew to avoid humans like the plague. They were murderers and liars and cheats. But Cheza wasn't like other humans. She was different. Or at least that's what Kiba wanted to believe. He had to believe that because when he looked at Cheza he really saw someone that he liked. Kiba didn't have many strong emotions towards anyone. When he'd spent his time traveling around he hadn't the time to make any friends. He moved from place to place with his nose, eyes, and ears to the ground. The only thing that'd mattered to him was Paradise and the Flower Maiden. Losing his pack from a young age to humans had taught him to fear and hate them. Kiba wasn't like Toboe or Hige. He didn't enjoy being around humans, even supposed friendly ones, for their company. He wasn't like Tsume either, who supposedly was only using humans for his own personal gain and would stab them in the back when needed.

" But aren't I acting the same way now?" Kiba pondered. "I like being around Cheza because she smells good and she's friendly... Isn't that the same as Hige and Toboe?" A chill ran down his spin "And I'm only using her to get to Paradise."

Kiba knew how the other wolves felt, or at least he could make an educated guess about all their feelings. They were all wolves and somehow, in a way, they'd become his pack. He'd only thought of Paradise and Cheza and hating humans but somehow he'd found other wolves. He'd found friends...

Cheza was a human and there was always a chance she'd stab in the back like all other humans probably would.

"Isn't that what she's doing? Why else would she care about some promise she made to another human. Darcia, whoever he was."

"Kiba? Kiba are you alright?" Cheza called to him. Her voice filled with what seemed like genuine concern.

"Y-yes," he answered. Startled and unsure how his face looked. He steadied his voice and tried to maintain a more neutral expression. He felt a pang of guilt.

"Here I am thinking about how Cheza might betray me or something and she's worried about me."

What he hated the most was that he was still skeptical of Cheza. He really didn't want her to know that.

"You just look like your in pain..." Cheza continued, now seeming like she might start crying

Kiba shook his head. "No-" Kiba half shouted for some reason. He sighed and continued. "I'm fine, really." He faked a yawn, " just a little tired."

"That's good to hear," Cheza smiled. Her eyes sparkled. Her genuine concern made Kiba's tail wag a little

"So what were you saying Cheza?" Hige asked impatiently.

Cheza brushed her hand over a wrinkle in her tunic and started to speak again.

She took a breath. Her eyes grew wide and her face withered.

"Well... Lord Darcia's wife is very sick. The illness is called Paradise sickness. She'll die soon unless this one does something to help."

Cheza stopped talking. Her small fingers continued to brush the fabric against her tunic. Kiba was waiting, patiently, for some sort of explanation when Tsume interjected.

He rolled his eyes. "Right, we know that. You told us already." Then he shrugged

" Why should we care?"

" We wouldn't, normally," Kiba thought to himself. " If Cheza cares though…"

_Cheza's replied quickly. " B-because it's the right thing to do!"

Tsume groaned. " That doesn't mean anything."

Kiba glared at him and he shrugged again.

" It's impossible to help everyone. … What makes some happy will piss others off and before you know it you'll end up dead in an alleyway somewhere because you helped the wrong people."

Toboe and Cheza winced.

Tsume continued.

" If everyone did the right thing for everyone then we wouldn't be sitting here baking in the middle of the desert." He paused for a second and then went on to say, "... Now if this is done sort of its part of some weird Flower Maiden prophecy thing... then fine. But, if he just needs anyone's help in general… He's a Noble. He can find his own help."

Kiba hated to admit that he felt the same way.

Cheza nodded slowly as if physically absorbing Tsume's argument. She pressed her lips together into a thin line and then started to speak.

" Hmm, that is true Tsume. T'is a valid point." Tsume's eyes widened for a moment. His scowl deepened.

" It's just that… There's something strange about Lord Darcia. It seems as though he cannot simply ask for anyone's help. This one has met him once before. It must have been a long time ago but.. Hmm... He seemed different-" She quickly added, "which would make sense considering his wife's illness," Cheza nodded to herself. " Humans all grieve differently." It sounded like she was repeating something she'd heard.

Cheza talked strangely. But it was even stranger that she'd said " humans" instead of "us" or "we."

"Does she not consider herself a human?" Kiba asked himself, hoping.

However, when he saw this one walking through the streets… Trying to get to you… It was as if he knew exactly where this one would be… and… well…" Cheza frowned. "It must have been a coincidence…"

Kiba opened his mouth to say something but decided against it.

Cheza continued to speak. Darcia was getting more and more on Kiba's nerves with each passing second.

Cheza's mood changed from somber to peppy again.

" At the same time, it cannot be a coincidence. That we all met each other in general. Or how this one is the Flower Maiden and Lord Darcia's wife is ill with something called Paradise Sickness. What has more to do with Paradise than the Flower Maiden and a pack of wolves?"

Cheza's smile grew as she nodded to herself and stood up. She brushed off her tunic and swayed in the wind.

" Lord Darcia is heading to Black City and that's… only a little further away from here. ...This one thinks So... if it's alright with all of you... could we make a detour to Paradise?

Another gust of wind blew through the groups makeshift camp. Cheza's warmth was infectious. Everyone smiled and nodded. Except for Tsume who rolled his eyes and sighed but didn't actually object.

Cheza had already started walking. She twirled around on top of the sand. Kiba begrudgingly started to follow. He'd already decided he'd follow Cheza where ever she went, long before he even knew her. He still felt the same way. Only now he couldn't help but wonder what other issues lay in store for him and the rest if the group.

" Hey, Kiba," Toboe half shouted as he ran to his side. "Are you sure your alright?" he whispered.

" Not really," Kiba wanted to say.

" Yes, Toboe I'm fine" he actually answered. He started to run to Cheza's side and ask her if she wanted a ride. If no one could see her then maybe they wouldn't realize how worried he really was.

* * *

 _Blue –_

Waiting was a terrible change of pace to Blue. To someone who never waited for anything; who was constantly running around trying to achieve her goal any way she could, waiting was excruciating At least her wounds were healing. Though there were so many of them now that she could hardly keep track.

Everything was happening now. It was hard to make sense of it all. Blue didn't want to have to think about anything. It was hard to keep track of time, seeing as they were underground or in a cave or something. Light trickled in from somewhere every once in a while so days passed. How many she didn't know. Her days and nights started to blur together.

Most of the women were either unfriendly, rude, scared, quiet or a combination of the four. They kept their distance from she and Cher which was the best solution for everyone. Blue didn't bother to learn anyone's names. They didn't seem to care about hers, which was also fine. Someone can in every once in a while with some food and water rations. Bread, slices of meat, apples, beans. Things they must have brought with them from the city.

Blue could understand that the women were scared. Those men, slavers or Nobles or whatever they were, hadn't been messing around. Blue could defend herself just fine.

"What if I couldn't defend myself. Would I have ended up in some place like this?" She sighed and let her thoughts continue. " No, because I had Pops… I wonder if he's doing alright…" She shook her head. " Pops has to be fine."

Eventually Blue knew her thoughts would turn dark.

So, even while waiting, she tried to keep busy. She sharpened her knives and paced back in forth in the room. Sleeping wasn't an opinion. When she was exhausted she slept but she didn't feel tired at all. Maybe it was because Hanabito but her muscles didn't ache as much as usual. When she asked Cher about it she didn't have any clear answers. It didn't seem like anyone had any clear answers for anything these days.

When Blue finally decided to venture outside of the room it was a large network of tunnels and caves. More sunlight trickled in from the cracks in the cave's ceiling. The walls made out what looked like a hard stone. But the more she looked at them, the more mechanical they looked. It was becoming more and more unclear as to where they were.

" Where are we? " Blue thought. She reminded herself to ask Cher when got back. "How long did it take them to do all of this?" Blue said to no one in particular while leaning up against the smooth stone.

Walking down another path, Blue listened to the sounds of the rooms she moved past. In one room she could hear the sound of someone crying, in another laughing. As she continued to walk she heard women speaking in hushed tones, their words nearly inaudible.

The crackle of a nearby fire made her wince. Hanabito wouldn't like that. She still felt the urge to protect the old Flower Maiden. Just as importantly, She couldn't get the image of a fire starting and no one noticing until it was too late. The smell of the fire reached her nose and she gagged. Images of her dying family darted through her mind. She blinked tears away

Her chest felt tight and any minute now, Blue could see herself having a full on break down in the hall. She breathed, slowly, backed up and scurried through the hallway until she found her way back to her room.

.

The next day passed just as inconsequentially as the first few. A green haired woman that seemed to be their leader started giving Blue and Cher small tasks to do. Do the laundry, cook, clean; simple things. Everything was strangely indoors. Blue hadn't gotten a good glimpse of the sun or moon in days.

Later in the day, she and Cher were ushered into a small humid room with about ten other women. Dirt squished and parted under Blues weight. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked down and saw paw prints. She lurched forward, her pain seeming physical.

The green haired girl shot her a worried look. " If you're up for it… we're getting this area ready for planting."

A corner of the ground was stacked with a heavy pile of rocks. Worms slithered through the brown squishy earth as the stones were upturned. A string of white flowers grew up a wall, stretched across the ceiling and down the other side of the room. Vases with the names of vegetables and fruits were clumped together in a corner. A basin of water sat on the ground. She did not want to see her reflection.

Some of the women looked at Blue warily. Blue wasn't fazed. Why shouldn't they be scared? Who knows what she looked like to them. What sort of demon she really was to them.

They sat in a corner, breaking rocks with little metal rods. Cher closed her book, tucked it into her pocket and started to pick up some rocks, examining them like she'd never seen rocks before. Astounded, Blue started to help. She watched as the black haired women from before watched her with a look that would definitely kill if it could.

Blue fell into the rhythm or all of it. She watched the sunlight through the crack fade. Night fell upon the group. They took a break and offered Blue some more food. For the first time in forever, she was actually hungry.

Some of the girls sat on with their backs against the wall, savoring their scraps of meat and fruit. conversations started. Neither she or Cher felt the need to join in. Blue leaned up against another wall, enjoying her food to some degree. Cher went back to reading her book. At first, Blue didn't care about the green haired women and the others girls conversation, but what they were saying struck Blue as interesting. So she eavesdropped.

" You don't think they followed us, do you," her voice was quiet and shaky.

" We'll be fine," the green-haired women answered kindly. " Miss Hanabito protected us before and she'll protect us now. We just need to have faith and-" she squatted down and threw a rock to the side. " -And just keep working, get this work done. Paradise isn't going to create itself. ...Soon we'll have nothing to worry about."

Blue's body felt numb. She opened her mouth to speak, confused by the women's word choice. Perhaps it'd been only a figure of speech but it made Blue nervous.

The women weren't wolves or nobles or anything. It was strange. Her fears ran ramped through her mind again.

Blue chastised herself, "what do I think they're going to do to me? Use me as some sort of sacrifice." She nearly chuckled but a part of her didn't put it past them.

They're afraid of me… They don't like Cher. If things do turn hostile our chances of making out of here without a fight are slim to none. And her fear turned to jealousy.

" Why are they talking about creating a Paradise? They have their own Flower Maiden but they're only a bunch of humans." She shook her head, " There's a part of me that's human too."

She glanced at Cher who walking closer to the green haired women who'd spoken before."

" What do you mean by that, exactly," the blonde women asked.

The green haired woman smiled warmly, unfazed by Cher's icy attitude. She opened her mouth to speak but whatever she was going to say was cut off by a shrill cry.

" They're here, they're here," another woman screamed as she ran into the room.

Blood was trickling off her cheek. She clutched her side. Her hand and the white fabric underneath it were stained with blood.

" Who's here," the green-haired women asked, surprisingly calm.

" Nobles," the other woman spat.

Blue readied her knives. She chastised herself again. This is why she never gave herself time to rest or let down her guard. The second you let yourself relax is the second people start to get murdered.

* * *

 _Hello everyone and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! This is a fanfiction, please support the original authors!_

 _Well, I meant for this chapter to be longer but I'm going on vacation soon... a kinda stressful family reunion type vacation so I'm just like -_-. But it'll be nice...? Maybe I'll see some actual wolves or something... Anyway, I hope Kiba isn't OOC or anything but I thought it would be interesting for him to question his believes. He's like totally in love with Cheza, but she's a human ( or close to it) in my fic so... And even if she wasn't living and dying for someone over and over again can be stressful... Not that he knows about that now. I hope Cheza doesn't sound weird or anything... I think this is the first time I wrote so much dialogue for her at one time lol. More on Blue and the Flower Maiden thing and all that stuff next time..._

 _Thanks for reading! Comments, follows and all of that_ are _heavily appreciated! (:_


	26. Wolf's Rain Chapter 26 : Why We Fight

_Wolf's Rain Chapter 26_

 _Why We Fight -_

* * *

 _Blue-_

Blue sat in the corner of the room, her back pressed into the cool stone wall. The stench of blood filled the air. Blue could taste it in her mouth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A woman had been stabbed but there wasn't any use freaking out over it. She couldn't do anything if she was freaking out. Blue took another deep breath and listened as the wounded woman started to speak.

" I don't know," the woman wheezed. "They just came out of no where and started attacking us." Her eyes were glassy and wet. She continued to sob and wheeze as she clutched her stomach. Blood seeped through her clothes and onto her hand.

" I – I managed to get away but I…. I left the others and I might have lead them here."

The green haired woman put her arm around the wounded woman's shoulder. " Everything will be fine," she said pulling the other woman closer. Blue wasn't so sure that she agreed with this. Things would get a lot worse before they would be fine.

Cher walked over, seeming perfectly composed and calm. She produced a bandage from her lab coat pocket and placed it in the green haired woman's hand.

The wounded woman cried loudly. It wasn't that deep a wound but a cut from one of the nobles strange swords hurt nonetheless, especially to someone who didn't look like they were used to pain.

" Stop talking. Calm down. Breath." Cher's tone was harsh, not the least bit soothing, but it was sound advice.

" We need to stop the bleeding" Cher said as she sat down next to the wounded woman. She adjusted her glasses and proceeded to do some sort of medical procedure that went over Blue's head.

Blue watched this go on for a moment, in partial awe. Pops had taught her how to treat wounds but she'd never been good at it. She'd always thought herself better with a knife in her hands the a spool of gauze. Besides, in Blue's mind, she preferred focusing on not getting injured herself and injuring others. The easiest way not to get hurt was to all your enemy first.

The wounded woman eventually did calm down. Blue listened to the description of the assault carefully. There had been a bunch of men. They opened up one of the walls and started cutting everyone in sight. They hadn't killed anyone though, not from what she could tell.

Blue felt a surge of anger rush through her veins. She stood up and rushed out the door, trying her hardest to take her own and Cher's advice. She couldn't let her anger consume her. Deep breaths, planning, calm. She couldn't let any of her enemies get the best of her.

" Wait," the green haired woman shouted to Blue, raising her voice for the first time. " Don't go out there! You'll get killed."

" You'll all get killed if I don't do something," Blue almost said.

Somehow, she thought, if she stopped moving now that she'd never get the nerve back to do what she had to do. She might run away from Cher, Hanabito and her little cult following and never come back. Ridding the world of wolves was her goal. Ridding the world of a few scum bag people, protecting others; those weren't terrible things to try and do. It'd just never been her top priority.

For some reason, Blue felt strange trying to help others. Almost self conscious. Pops had always taught her to look out for herself first. Take care of your own needs and goals before the needs of others. Pops never talked about it but before the wolves attacked his town, he used to be a Sheriff. He didn't talk about it much, but he used to protect people. When the wolves came they took all that away from him. Killing all the wolves became his goal just as it became Blue's.

It wasn't even like Blue hated the Nobles. They were useless at best. When the wolves had killed everyone from Blue's old town, none of the Nobles had done anything to help. There hadn't been any other survives. Those who the wolves hadn't immediately killed were done in by the fires they'd started. Blue didn't act entitled, she knew she had to achieve her on goals. But for people with so much wealth and influence, the Nobles surely didn't do anything to help people of lesser wealth. Those things had made her have more of a general distain towards the Nobles at large.

Now, she was personally staring to hate them more everyday. First they'd tried to abduct her, then kill her and now this.

Maybe it was because Hanabito was there and she was apparently a wolf now. Hanabito's power had a strange effect over Blue. Blue felt drawn to protect the older flower maiden. She didn't want to disappoint Cher after she'd said what she'd said about Blue. Maybe it was because she still had some of her humanity left. Blue didn't want to see anyone hurt.

She didn't mind a fight for the right reasons.

She'll be fine," Cher said calmly. She knows how to take care of herself."

Blue pressed on, keeping Cher's positive words in mind. It was strange, before Cher, the only person who'd ever put any faith in her was Pops.

Blue ran quickly through the halls, aware that somewhere, more women could be getting hurt. She was more familiar with this place then she'd been at first. It wasn't hard to find a bunch of lumbering, blood thirsty guys. That was the easy part.

There were four of them in the hallway; standing there in tattered clothes, covered in blood, knives and their strange swords at the ready. They looked just like the Nobles Blue had fought before. None of the armor clad ones were there, which was better for her. It made them easier to stab.

Unfortunately there were a two women who'd gotten caught up in the mess... Blue had to be wary.

She felt a sort of heat come back to her as she charged them. She slashed at one of them, drawing blood. The others took a step back, shook showing on their faces.

" Get out of here," she yelled. She didn't have time to worry about them now.

The men had only been ready to attack a bunch of defensive women. Blue was anything but that and she was more then prepared to show it.

Blood splattered against the wall as the man Blue slashed fell into the side in an attempt to dodge. She cut him clear across the arm. Blue chastised herself, a little more power in her cut could have severed the bone.

It was enough to incapacitate the man for now. It was enough. He fell the ground, clutching his wound.

" How are we supposed to kill a whole pack of these things?" one of the nobles muttered.

The hall way was narrow. Being cramped in with your attackers wasn't a very comforting experience. The women had managed to crawl away in the confusion, which was a relief. One of the nobles slashing at Blue with their sword was not.

Another one of the men came at Blue. She took a step backwards, out of instinct. She pressed into the wall. Gravel stirred as the swords strange vibrating power activated. Blue was ready for it this time. She Jumping sideways and up the wall. Running halfway up she sprung off, in a cat like… wolf like… manner. Wincing at her inner voice, she dismissed the thought. There wasn't any time to debate that right now. Wolf, human; whatever Blue was didn't matter now, staying alive was always the most important thing. You can't ever achieve your goals if your dead.

Blue landed, she thought, as gracefully as she leapt. She made it clear behind them and when they didn't react she started to wonder if they'd been drugged or something. Blue knew she was strong but their motions and reactions seemed especially dull. She struck while the Nobles backs were still turned; jabbing her knife into one of their legs hard then ripped it out before jumping away. In the nick of time really, she could feel the vibrations of the nobles sword again. A feeling of dread clung to Blue as she heard the sword crash down into the earth. If she'd moved a hair more slowly she would have been dead. The sword looked heavy and sharp enough to kill. The sword nicked Blue. She winced and drew backward.

Still, with only two able bodied men left, the fight was over quickly. Blue felt her whole body tingle. She couldn't feel her pain. Whatever power Hanabito had over her was enough to make Blue feel like she could take on whole armies.

Blue stabbed one man in the throat, quickly withdrawing her knife. Blue relaxed her stance a bit. They were all dead. She turned, ready to search for more attacking nobles. Something sharp went into her back. The pain was sharp, metallic; a knife.. Blue twisted backward, ready to deal with another problem. A loud popping sound sent Blue backwards instinctively.

In the heat of the moment, Blue worried that she might have gotten shot somehow. She'd just been stabbed after all. If Blue had gotten shot, even with Hanabito muddling her pain threshold, she would have known.

When Blue looked down the hallway and saw Cher standing there, holding a gun, it all became clear. It felt good to know someone had her back. Still, Blue was disappointed in herself. She had to be more careful.

Blue nodded to Cher and Cher nodded back. A moment of gratitude and relief was shared between the two. A moment was all it could be though. There might be more nobles lurking about and Blue wasn't going to wait around and find out. The two of them cast their eyes down at the massacre they'd participated in. They'd only done what they had to do. Only time would tell how long Blue needed to keep killing.

* * *

\- _Hige_ -

The pattern of Hige being forced to travel around starving, dehydrated, and exhausted was growing at an alarming rate. He sighed and looked at the other wolves walking in front of him. Hige brought up the rear of the pack, mostly because he liked walking slowly. There was also the fact that he could see Cheza and he'd rather see her then a bunch of sand and rocks., Cheza's vibrant pink hair and smile improved Hige's view considerably. Cheza turned and smiled at everything she saw, like it was the first time she'd seen anything or she was part of some sort of walking tour. Rocks, bugs, sand; that's all that was out here. Yet, Cheza seemed so excited about all of it. She chatted away to Kiba who probably didn't care but was just happy to be around her.

" I wonder if she can't remember her past either," Hige thought suddenly, impulsively. As if everyone who was exciting about life had a memory problem. He ran towards Cheza and Kiba anyway.

Even Kiba's cautious slower running state was faster then Hige would've liked.

" Hey, Cheza," Hige called to the Flower Maiden.

She smiled at him and nodded ever so slightly. " Hello, Hige."

Kiba glanced at Hige with an uncharacteristically angry look. Was he jealous? Kiba didn't seem like the you never ni

Hige got the nerve up to ask the question he wanted to ask. " Cheza… do you ever forget things…" He laughed at himself, nervously, unconsciously. " Wel,l, I guess you wouldn't remember but… if there was a time in the past when you couldn't remember something… something that you know you should remember."

In the heat of the moment, Hige forgot what he'd been telling himself all along; " I don't care about the past me. The only theme that's here now."

Still, it was easy to forget that. Talking to Cheza about anything was nice.

Cheza took a moment to respond. " Yes," she answered cheerfully. Then she sighed and added less enthusiastically, " they said that with the type of testing they were doing, this it was normal."

Hige and Kiba exchanged a look. Hige made an executive decision to not bring the past up again. He'd figured Cheza's life before would have been nothing but flowers and sunshine. This was dark… and he didn't want to make her upset.

The group started to walk down a hill. Thenever-ending sand sloped downwards. At the bottom was a large series of rocks, tunnels, and metal that looked like they were part of some sort of alien invasion.

It looked frightening. Then it got even worse. A group of humans suddenly surrounded Hige and the rest of the group.

" Where did they come from?" Hige thought frantically. He tried to assume the best but they didn't look friendly in the least

Hige stopped and shifted uncomfortably in the sand. He hadn't noticed it before but the smell of humans hung in the air. Maybe it was because Cheza's flower scent had been so strong. He'd been distracted.

" Worrying about your past life could get you killed in the present ," Hige thought gravely.

" We're taking her with us and killing the rest," he heard one of the men whisper.

" Alright," Hige thought frantically. " So they are bad. And there's like way to many of them and I don't want to die in the middle of the desert. If I have to be killed let it be surrounded by cute girls and on a full stomach."

" Hige," Kiba whispered. " Make sure none of them get close to Cheza.

Kiba and Tsume made a slow circle around Cheza, Toboe and Hige. Perhaps it was, their instinct. Hige assumed they thought he was a weaker pack member and were trying to protect him too. Hige didn't mind having others wanting to protect him and, in a way, he didn't really mind being weak. Right now, it rubbed him the wrong way for some reason.

Hige stepped forward, somewhat unconsciously. Protecting Cheza… protecting his friends… that was important to him. But what could he do? The humans had swords and knives and they looked generally unpleasant. Cheza hadn't stopped smiling but in a way Hige thought she knew something bad was happening.

" M-maybe we can try to reason with them" Toboe stammered. " Sometimes humans think we're humans too. They might want to help."

Cheza and Toboe both had their heads in the clouds. Hige hoped for the best too but he could see by now that the humans wanted nothing but trouble.

Hige glanced in a random om direction. How fast could they all run with Nobles on their tails? Maybe without Cheza or in a place with more hiding spots. Here, as much as Hige didn't want to admit it, fighting seemed like the best option. Also, as much as he was glad to have Cheza around,, things would probably a be completely different without her. Of course the wolves journey had been to find Cheza and get to Paradise. So if some humans tried to get in the wolves and Cheza's way they'd just have to keep pushing through. Though Hige doubted he'd be much help himself.

" Right Toboe, Tsume growled while looking in the nobles direction. " Because people who want to help you always do so by sneaking up on you in the middle of the desert with their swords drawn."

The Nobles looked like the ones he'd attempted to protect that female wolf from. Hige fidgeted. He really hated to see swords up close. And seeing swords pointed at him was even more nauseating.

Cheza sat on the ground, quietly sobbing to herself.

Hige found it strange to watch Kiba and Tsume on the defensive. Neither of them were joking around though, the second one of the nobles stepped forward they got their hand bitten off. They'd kept their attacks quick and powerful. The scent of blood, the scent of violence filled Hige's nostrils. He felt the urge to do something but he stopped himself. The fight was over in no time at all. Hige didn't think the Nobles ever had a chance. The Nobles were too slow moving. Like their senses were dulled by something.

Human corpses were strewn all over the sandy ground. Blood continued to taint the air. Kiba and Tsume both looked a little tired. Cheza and Toboe were both shaken. Hige didn't think Cheza had stopped crying the whole time. From the way things looked Toboe might start crying any second.

Hige didn't know how he looked. He felt relived. The pack lived another day. But at what cost? How did the Nobles find them here? What did they want with Cheza?

Tsume silently scraped the blood off his knives. Kiba went to be near Cheza. Toboe looked up at the moon, his eyes glazed and unfocused. So Hige kept watch for more attacking humans.

" Do you guys see that wolf over there?" Hige asked the rest of his pack.

A blackish blue wolf stood atop a sand dune. The same one Hige had met before in the alley way. Blood dripped off her back. Even with her cuts and dirt covered paws, she was the most beautiful wolf he'd ever seen. Which, in hindsight, didn't mean all that much considering she was the first female wolf Hige remembered seeing. Still, she was beautiful. And he was terribly worried about her. Had the Nobles from before found her too. Was she ok. Hige took a few steps forward, about to chase after her. The other wolves were to busy to attention so it was up to Hige to help her.

Just as quickly as she'd appeared, before Hige could do anything to help, she was gone. It must have been a mirage.

" You're obviously seeing things" Tsume muttered as leaned in towards one of the dead nobles. Sometimes shiny glinted in his mouth.

" Geez," Hige frowned and thought to himself, " Do you really have to steal their stuff?"

Tsume didn't answer. Hige took his silence as a yes.

Suddenly, Hige slammed into the ground. He tried to gasp but the air got knocked out from under him. The blueish wolf was on top of Hige. Pinning him to the ground. He thought at first that he was hallucinating. He blinked a few times, a grin forming on his face. If this was a dream then Hige didn't want to be woken up from it.

" W-well," he managed to say, finally taking a breath." I don't usually like it rough… but this is fine." He smiled.

The blue wolf didn't smile back. She growled. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened.

Hige quickly recalled his past experiences with her. They'd met in the alley way, he tried to save her from those thugs. Maybe she was mad that he left her there alone? He was relived to see she was alright now. Her wounds didn't look that bad from what Hige could tell. But she looked really, really pissed. Had he done something to her in his past life… the life he couldn't remember.

Still, he didn't mind being close to her.

Toboe was screaming.

Hige looked up, she was about to stab him with a knife.

Hige's body stiffened. " No," he said trying to squirming away. " This is where I have to draw the line." He smiled again. She still didn't smile back

" There are definitely worse ways to die," Hige thought.

Then, just as suddenly as Hige was pinned down, he was free again.

Tsume tackled the bluish wolf. The two of them grappled. Slamming down hard into the sand. Sand blew up into Hige's face. Small shimmers of metal and small drips of blood came from both wolves. Hige gritted his teeth. He didn't want anyone to get hurt. It was already bad enough that they had to fight the wolf hunter and Nobles of the world.

For a second all he could hear was the sound of growls, snarls and screams.

Cheza's scream was sudden and ear piercing. Everything stopped. The blueish wolf and Tsume rolled apart, each with a surprised and pained look on their faces. They started to growl at each other again but stopped abruptly. Everyone stopped. Toboe stopped screaming. Kiba's eyes were glassy and unfocused. Hige's heart beat slowed, his mouth dried. Despite all the violence and screaming, he felt kind of relaxed. It was as if they were all under some sort of spell.

Cheza jumped up, looking tired and out of breath and moved between Tsume and the blueish wolf.

Much to Hige's relief, everyone had stopped fighting.

" W-we really shouldn't fight," Toboe stammered. " We're all wolves and… it's not helping anyone.

Cheza nodded quickly. Her body shook as she put her hand over her mouth. Her eyes grew wide and her breathing grew ragged. With a thud, she fell to the ground and to hyperventilate. She grasped at the sand with her hands.

Kiba rushed to her side in an instant.

" No," she chocked out. " This one does not want anyone to fight. Let us all calm down and talk about this."

The blueish wolf lurched forward and muttered, " I'm going to kill… all the wolves." Then she fell to the ground and closed her eyes, seemingly asleep.

Tsume stepped forward, his knife glinting in the sliver of moonlight.

" Tsume no," Toboe half shouted, running over to Tsume's side. " What are you doing? She's in pain!"

"Not enough," Tsume muttered. Something flickered across his face as he took another step forward.

" He's going to kill her," Hige thought as he stepped between them.

" Tsume," Hige said in a voice that was much more nervous then he would've liked. This was just all to much to fast.

" You can't do that. She's just-" Hige searched for reasons." She didn't hurt me and she's asleep now… so you shouldn't…"

Hige's sentence drifted off he turned and watched the blueish wolf chest rise and fall.

" I don't know why you moron's insist in putting yourselves in danger," Tsume said with a sigh.

Hige gritted his teeth. He didn't budge.

" You can't hurt her," he said with seriousness he wasn't used to hearing from himself.

" Oh," Tsume smirked. "Are you going to stop me, Porky?" The sarcasm and general distain in his voice was enough to cut through the nearby rock.

Hige smiled nervously. " I don't know," he shrugged. "Come closer and I guess you'll find out."

Hige didn't know why he was provoking Tsume. Maybe it was his enhanced hunger levels that was making him act so crazily. Tsume wasn't the type of wolf he enjoyed compromising or messing around. If he wanted to kick Hige's ass then he would do just that. But this wasn't right. Hige couldn't stand by and watch this happened. He knew, or at least he hoped, that Tsume wasn't serious. The grey wolf could be a jerk to say the least but he didn't seem like the type to go around killing other wolves. They were all going through a lot of stress.

Tsume and Hige stared at each other for a second that felt like an eternity. He had his doubts about her but he most certainly wouldn't stand to see anyone killed.

If only the blueish wolf could see how cool he looked trying to defend her. If only, before collapsing, she hadn't said she was going to " kill all wolves." That was creepy. It would probably be for the best if she didn't walk up for a while though. She hadn't been making a very good case for herself. Besides, any second now, he and Tsume would get into a fight that he would inevitably lose.

" Tsume, Cheza doesn't want us to fight," Toboe said as he stepped in between the two angry wolves. "She's already upset enough as it is. Do you really want to make things worse?"

Tsume looked in Cheza's direction for a second and then said in a low voice, " I don't care about how she feels."

This seemed like a lie to Hige but he didn't say anything to the contrary.

"And," Tsume continued. "I'm not going to let that psycho kill me." He coughed after that.

Toboe said in a voice that seemed much to serious for him. " Killing her would make you just as bad as the Nobles, Tsume."

Hige thought this would make Tsume really angry but he didn't seem fazed.

Tsume sighed at this. " Wolves kill each other all the time in the wild, Toboe. And for much more stupid reasons then this."

Kiba appeared. His coat was noticeably wetter then when Huge had last seen it.

" She was crying on his shoulder, "Hige thought to himself, recalling the human expression.

" We can tie her up," he said in a calm voice. "Then she can't attack anyone and she'll still be alive. Cheza' said she met her before and that she won't hurt anyone." Kiba frowned and added with in a whisper," personally I don't know how quick we should be to trust her."

Tsume sighed again, louder and presumably more irritated then before. He shrugged but didn't disagree. Obviously, Toboe and Hige were fine with this. Toboe smiled. Hige took a deep breath. That was the most stress Hige had gone through in a while.

Hige glanced over at Cheza who was facing the moon and rubbing her eyes. The moon hung lazily in the sky. It was a crescent now, which, to Hige made it look like it was kind of smiling. It probably was, things were finally looking up a bit.

Even if Kiba didn't want to admit it. He was a good pack leader. Hige was tempted to say so but he decided against it. Besides, Kiba was already heading back over to Cheza.

Tsume started walking away.

" She's your problem now, Porky."

" Wait, what?" Hige yelled, even though he'd sort of anticipated that and was very much relived.

Toboe started to chase after Tsume. Hige sat alone with the blueish wolf.

Hige watched the blueish wolf's face as she slept. Most people looked peaceful sleeping. She didn't. She looked physically pained. Her breathing was ragged and her muscles were tight. He sat next to her and sighed. Whatever brave act he'd cobbled together, he couldn't just throw it all away now. Hige needed to be stronger.

Cheza started yelling again. A chill went down Hige's spine. His heart almost leapt out of his chest. He didn't think he could take any more action.

A blonde woman came into view, slowly trudging up the sandy hill. Hige guessed that there must be people camping out in that weird rock formation. There were three other women with her. Hige's tail wagged, things were getting better after all. Or, at the worst, of someone had to kill him let it be these four and not any nasty violent nobles.

" Cher," Cheza yelled. She got up and started to run. She turned and shook her head at Kiba, who looked very concerned. " No," she said to him. " This one is fine… This one is only excited to see Cher. She is..." Cheza paused, " a friend." Cheza turned back around and really started running. A huge smile spread across her face. Hige's tail continued to wag. It was always nice to see Cheza happy.

Hige watched to see if the Blue wolf would wake up in all the commotion. She didn't so much as stir.

" Cheza," the blonde woman, apparently named Cher, yelled as she picked up speed. Tears were in her eyes. She was just as happy to see Cheza and Cheza was to see her.

" This one is so glad to see you, Cher." Cheza said, pulling Cher into a hug.

" It's good to see you safe," Cher said as she pulled Cheza close. Cher's white lab coat bustled in the wind. It was stained with blood. Fresh and wet Hige gulped. Just what he wanted to see, more blood shed.

The two women hugged for a while. Cheza's tears we're happy ones this time. The wolves, save for the sleeping blueish one, watched the scene unfold warningly. Cheza, they could definitely trust. Another human, one coated in blood, maybe not so much. Though at the very least, Cher was friends with Cheza so she couldn't be that bad.

Cher eventually broke away from the hug. She started at the wolves for a second before letting out a deep breath and jotting down some things in her notebook. Cher's smile was still on her face and she said " wow, I see you've made some friends Cheza.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! This is a fan fiction! Please support the original creators!_

 _Well, there's actually a lot of stuff going on and I'm pretty proud of it. Cher and Cheza are back together, Blue and Hige are really meeting, Tsume was like a total jerk in this chapter. It's all coming together. It's taking a while but we're getting there._

 _Thank you for reading! Feedback is highly appreciated! ( I'm uploading this on my phone so I hope it doesn't look weird)_


	27. Wolf's Rain Chapter 27: Pleading

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 27: Pleading**

* * *

 _-Cheza-_

Cheza's vision was blurry. She'd tried her best to hold it together. She hadn't lasted long and now it felt like her body was splitting apart. She screamed and cried. Struggling to form coherent sentences. People were getting hurt, wolves were getting hurt. This was a nightmare.

" It'll be alright Cheza. Take a deep breath."

It wasn't her thoughts- it was someone else's voice. Kiba's. The white wolf sat right next to her. His presence alone calmed her. Maybe it was because he was the first wolf she'd ever met. The one in her dreams who'd been watching over her since before she could have dreams.

Cheza cried into his shoulder. He moved closer to her. Even though it was extremely hot, his fur felt nice. It tickled her nose.

Eventually, Cheza got a hold of herself and did what he told her too.

The safety of the blue wolf weighed heavily on Cheza's mind. Her voice was ragged as she finally spoke.

" Please, if you can, don't hurt her. This one has met her before. It's not her fault.. that she acts this way."

Kiba stared at her, conflicted. He wanted to stay there with her as she wanted to stay with him but he also wanted to listen to get request. Cheza felt a little selfish. She was always asking Kiba and the others for help and she still hadn't done anything to help them. That would have to change soon.

" This one is fine… For a moment at least."

This was a lie. Cheza wasn't fine at all. She hated lying to Kiba. But, what would hurt her, even more, was knowing that someone else got hurt because of her. Whenever wolves got hurt, something bad happened to her body. She grabbed at the sand and winced in pain. She bit down on her lib, trying to control herself, trying to breathe. Their pain was her pain. This made Cheza feel even worse. No one deserves to feel this way. She needed to stop it.

Slowly, Cheza struggled to her knees. Then she stood up, gasping for air. She needed to be strong. Humans were fighting wolves were fighting each other. This terrible situation wasn't going to be made better with her sitting in the sand crying. There was so little Cheza could do, her limits exceeded her abilities. If she could do something, then she'd do it in a heartbeat.

" Please stop fighting," she said in a weak voice that she didn't think anyone could hear.

She watched Kiba through tear stained eyes, breaking up the fight. A smile grew on her face. The pain slowly began to go away. Kiba came back to her side. Once again he'd saved her without her doing anything in return. Cheza thought once again of how important it was for her to make good on her promise. She had to get the wolves to Paradise.

Something else happened. Cher appeared in Cheza's line of sight. All the composure Cheza had gathered melted away in the hot night air.

" Cher," Cheza yelled, suddenly running through the sand to get to her long lost friend.

They hugged for a long time. Cheza wanted it to go on forever but Cher started checking her for injuries.

" I'm happy to see you've made some friends," Cher said, smiling a little.

Looking and sounding genuinely happy. She sighed and started to scribble something in her notebook.

"Please try to be more careful Cheza." Cher sighed again, " I'm glad you aren't hurt…"

She glanced at the blue wolf and asked, " you aren't hurt are you?"

Cheza shook her head.

" This one is fine, and," she repeated, " truly happy to see you, Cher." She added, " This one had the wolves near so everything is fine."

" I see," Cher said, taking a longer look at the wolves around her.

If she was bothered by their presence she didn't show it. Cheza missed Cher's seriousness. Her stability in tough situations was admirable. If only Cheza could manage not to fall apart in times like these.

" Let's get you somewhere self," Cher said closing her book and pulling Cheza along.

Cheza let herself get pushed a couple steps. She turned and saw Kiba walking towards Cher and her, a suspicious look on his face.

" No, wait," Cheza said. " If we could put these men to rest, that would be much appreciated," she pleaded. Turning slightly to look Cher in the eye.

A moment passed, Cher sighed again, " Fine. Of course, we can." She put one of her hands through her hair and turned towards the wolves.

" We do need to get somewhere safer first. We'll need to get everything moved… that can't do so on there own anymore. That blueish wolf over there… Blue… I'm sure she's not feeling her best. She'll need medical treatment…" Cher's voice spiked with emotion." I really want to make sure you're alright Cheza." Cher sighed again, "we've dealt with it all now, but some terrible things just happened."

Cheza only noticed now, but Cher's bun had become messy. Cheza had just assumed Cher was alright because she was standing in front of her talking in her usual calm manner. But she was covered in blood and her lab coat was tattered. That wasn't normal, for Cher, at all. How could Cheza have missed that? Panic surged through her body which she tried to conceal. Cheza didn't want Cher to worry about her any more than she already was.

Cher led the group towards a large cave-like structure. Cheza's chest tightened. She didn't know exactly why but this place made her feel uneasy. A green haired woman emerged from a tunnel and made her way over towards everyone. She smiled and nodded to Cheza.

"Miss Hanabito would like to see you now, Miss Cheza."

"Maybe after we-" Cher started to interject, but the green-haired woman cut her off.

" No, it's really important. Miss Hanabito has something very important that she needs to talk about."

Cheza vaguely remembered agreeing being herded into the dim tunnel. Hanabito was a flower maiden after all and so, what she asked Cheza was important.

" Oh," Cheza exclaimed as she entered Hanabito's chamber startled. They looked a bit alike. But the woman was older greyer around the eyes and her hair was dull. Cheza realized she'd been staring. She smoothed down the fabric of her skirt unconsciously.

"H-hello," Cheza stammered.

"Hello, Cheza," Hanabito said.

" Oh, have we met before?"

The older woman laughed. Her eyes sparkled a bit.

"No, dear. This one has known about you for a long time."

" Oh," Cheza nodded, her eyes wide. She had no idea who this woman was. Other than the fact that her effect on Cheza was strong and she was apparently also a Flower Maiden

"Yes, this one is known as Hanabito." The old woman dipped her head. " One of the nobles failed experiments." The disdain in her voice was clear and sudden.

Hanabito shook her head, " but you... you were the first that succeeded, Cheza. Or at the very least, the first who's succeeded and escaped the nobles grasp. They knew less about what was going on in the world and in their desperation they did horrible things… But we needn't dwell on that."

" For now, this one has request…"

" Yes," Cheza asked, " what is it?"

" You need to stay here Cheza. It is not safe out there… with humans… or wolves. They will only cause you pain and then case you aside once they are done."

" No," Cheza half shouted. She put a hand to her mouth and shook slightly. " Sorry," she bowed her head.

" It's just that, that cannot happen. The wolves, Kiba, Tsume, Hige, Toboe, Blue. They would never do anything to hurt this one… Of course, they wouldn't. This one is taking them to Paradise because it's the right thing to do."

Cheza's eyes filled with tears, " as for humans… not all of them are bad. Cher is my friend and… aren't I human in a way?"

Hanabito shook her head. " No," her hands balled up into fists. " We are not like them."

" You poor child... It is understandable that you are upset and confused," Hanabito smiled slightly. The smile didn't reach her eyes. " Humans, wolves- none of them are our friends.

" Just look outside and you'll see the suffering that goes on in the world. This world cannot be saved. It is in ruin. " If you don't stay here, you'll die. Even two moons ago, this place was attacked by humans. Their greed knows no bounds."

The only thing that can be done now is to save ourselves, Cheza."

"This one has waited for you for a long time for you." Hanabito put a hand to her chest. " When the world was filled with darkness and hated, this one waited for you, Cheza. Because the only important thing was keeping you safe."

" So... this one will ask again. Cheza, will you stay here and live in peace."

Cheza took a deep breath. Hanabito's eyes glistened. She bit the lower part of her mouth. Her body felt heavy. The words she wanted to say wouldn't leave her lips. She knew her answer hadn't changed, despite everything Hanabito had said. She had to believe in the wolves because without them, what would she do?

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Feedback and follows are always appreciated! Ugh, there was supposed to be more going on in this chapter but school and illnesses got the best of me this time around..._


	28. Wolfs Rain Chapter 28: Contemplation

**Wolfs Rain Chapter 28: Contemplation**

 **Cher –**

* * *

Cher kept looking over her shoulder to make sure none of the wolves were creeping up behind and trying to eat her. She sighed, of course, that wasn't going to happen. It seemed like they were behaving because Cheza was there.

"When Cheza told them to do something, they do it immediately," Cher observed.

Blue hadn't tried to eat her so it would probably be alright. Cheza trusted them. Though it wasn't as if Cheza knew much about the world. There was so much that she didn't know and as better off not knowing. All and all, Cher was just happy to see Cheza, alive and with wolves. The Flower Maiden looked shaken from all the fighting, sure. But she was alright. She'd actually managed to find the wolves, so maybe this wasn't just a fairy tale or something.

But Cheza wouldn't say what happened. She'd left the building with a depressed expression on her face. Her hands were shaking. She insisted everything would be fine and urged them to leave as soon as possible. For a while, she'd kept silent and walked further ahead of everyone. Then hours later, she suddenly perked back up.

Perhaps all the time and energy Cher had spent with her research would finally be worth something. Cheza and the wolf could find Paradise. She could... what could she do? This had been her lives work. There was little of anything left for her anymore. Maybe she could shove her victory in the faces of all those who hadn't believed her. What good would that do? At the very least, Cheza could live in peace. But Cher wouldn't allow herself to think of her own peace if there was anything left for her. Daydreaming could get you killed, even in the middle of nowhere. She had to focus on her research because that was all that was left for her. After all of this was over, if it ever ended, she'd have to really think about things.

At the end of the day, they'd left Hanabito behind. It wasn't like they could have dragged her along with them. Instead, Cher dragged the guilt and sorrow that'd been with her since she'd first started the project.

Cheza walked slowly. She smiled but her eyes now seemed distant and unfocused. They'd been walking for so long. The journey felt like it'd gone on for an eternity. No one wanted to stop. They'd done enough resting for now. Eating and drinking was something they did only when they were practically forced to. All anyone wanted to do anymore was find Paradise. Cher's life had long since become a turbulent blur- waiting, working, walking and now killing. There wasn't any way she could stop now.

Days passed, day gradually turning night. Sand gradually turned into dirt. Before they knew it, a town was on the horizon. Cher swallowed hard, she didn't usually believe in such things, but the air felt tense. Forbidding. But what did Cher know anymore? The world was full of miracles and nightmares. Perhaps the dread and negativity in the town was palpable.

She glanced over at Cheza. She needed to keep her safe. Blue was still sleeping. She didn't know how tired the wolves were. Cher was tired of hurting people and seeing them hurt but she would do whatever it took to keep Cheza safe. She imagined the wolves felt the same way. Either or, it was best to play it safe. They'd have to approach carefully, do some recon. She didn't come all this way to end up murdered in some bloody alleyway.

* * *

 **Hubb –**

" Well, we should be in Black City by now."

Hubb pulled the horse into a trot and held the map close to his face. He wasn't used to steering a horse anywhere. It was time but it didn't really want to he'd its command's. He tried to get it to stop and it continued its trek into the hillside.

Quent sat in the wagon next to Hubb. The pain from his wound not showing on his face. Hubb dressed his wound but in the end, they'd decided going to Black City was the best option. When Hubb had asked before wither or not it was his shooting hand. Quent hadn't answered him. He hadn't said much of anything. Every once and a while Hubb would see Quent staring off into space, an angry expression lingering over his face Hubb was still very worried about the older man.

They needed more bullets, more rations. Whatever shape the city was in now, Hubb hoped they would still have a functioning market or Trading Post. Quent had insisted they needed more alcohol. Hubb had long sense smoked his last and even he had to admit, with the way things were going now they could use as much booze and cigarettes as they could get.

The horse eventually stopped and they made camp on the outskirts of town. After what happened in Lesburg, neither one of them wanted to run in there unprepared. It must have been early in the day. The sun wasn't up and the air was tense.

Hubb and Quent ate the last of their meat strips and water by their makeshift campsite. The fire crackled. Hubb savored the tiny bit of peace that he'd gathered for himself. Though his journey was long from over.

Gunshots blared off in the distance. Hubb tensed and slowly put his hand to his gun belt.

" That wasn't that far away," he whispered.

Quent whipped his shotgun out and held it across his good shoulder.

Hubb moved on instinct. The two of them got up and moved towards the gunfire. He also knew that whoever was out there shooting at them might have bullets and it was always better to be on the offensive when possible.

Hubb ran alongside the rocky hillside. He hid behind a buff. More gunshots. He peered over the side.

A young woman ran towards them, her chest filled with holes. She fell forward.

Blood oozed onto the ground. The woman choked at a single word

" Run," and she went still. A noble was running behind her. A terrible expression played on his face. Hubb stared at the woman's fear-struck eyes. He didn't know why, but he was frozen.

Another gunshot. Hubb's body tensed. The noble fell to the ground. Hubb turned around. Quent was behind him, sighing.

"Try to keep your head out of the clouds, boy."

Hubb nodded. He sighed and crossed his arms. This really was Lesburg all over again.

"Thanks, Quent."

* * *

 **Hige-**

" Alright," Hige shouted. " See you guys later." He sat on a hilltop, his tail wagging side to side.

" Are you sure you don't want to come with us? Toboe asked.

Cheza was glancing around like she'd never seen a hillside before. Maybe she hadn't.

" No," Hige shock his head. He smiled.

" I have to keep an eye on her," Hige nodded towards Blue.

" I have to protect her."

" Fat chance of that working out," Tsume scoffed.

" This one is sure you'll be fine, Hige. You are stronger than you think." Cheza said as she walked over and gave him a pat on the head.

Hige's tail wagged and smiled. "Thank's Cheza," he chirped. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

He watched the small band of wolves and humans wander into town and chuckled. It was a funny sight to see. Tsume was grumbling about something. Toboe was smiling and practically shouting about how nice it was to be in another town. The scientist Cher was writing something down in her notebook. Cheza was smiling and twirling around. Kiba walked close to her, his eyes darting around warily.

Hige glanced over at Blue again. She was still fast asleep. She'd be sleeping for a while now. Watching her sleep made Hige sleepy. It probably wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to also take a nap. It was peaceful here, in a way and nothing else was going on.

Hige yawned again. He laid down next to Blue. She felt nice and warm. Almost familiar in a way.

Hige woke up to the sound of crying. He whipped his head towards the sound of the noise. Blue sat a ways away from him. Shaking and sobbing on the side of the hill.

" Hey," Hige jumped up and ran over to her side. " Are you alright?" He knew the question was stupid but it'd slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Blue didn't turn around but she stopped crying. She sat up straight and her fur bristled.

"No," of course I'm not," Blue growled. " I was…" Blue turned to face him. She grit her teeth and glared at him " You are so stupid."

Hige stared at her, dumbfounded. He had no idea why she hated him so much.

" Well, I don't-"

" I could have killed you," Blue interrupted him. " And I should have. I thought if I waited long enough, I could catch you off guard," Blue explained, " then you went to sleep. And I thought to myself, " he couldn't be this stupid… but you were... you are."

Hige preferred to think of himself as trusting rather than stupid but he Hige continued to listen. Though he was uncomfortable with how much Blue seemed to casually mention murdering him.

Blue sighed. " Do you know what's really stupid?"

" No," Hige answered honestly. " What?"

" I could've killed you..." Blue repeated "...and I should've… It would have been so easy… but I didn't." She looked at the ground and sighed again.

Blue stopped talking and she looked like she was about to start crying again. She stared at the ground furiously.

"Maybe that's because you're not as bad as you seem to make yourself out to be," Hige said quietly.

"No," Blue spat. "However I seem to you... trust me I'm much worse." She turned away from him, her tail flickering back and forth slowly.

Hige frowned. "I'm sorry," Hige said after a while. " It sounds like you've had a really harsh life Blue."

He wanted to comfort her. To pull her close to him and tell her that everything was alright now. But he could tell she would hate that.

" You… don't need to apologize," she whispered in a strange voice.

Suddenly Blue turned her head towards Hige. " How did you know my name?" She sounded angry again.

" That scientist woman, Cher told me," Hige said flustered for some reason.

" Oh… I see," You're Hige than?" Blue asked.

A surprised, kind stupid looking smile appeared on his face." Yeah, How do you know that?"

" I remembered… from before. In the alleyway back then," Blue's voice was barely audible.

" I'm glad that you made it out alright," Hige said cheerfully."

Blue didn't respond

A minute went by.

" Um… can I ask you a question?" Hige asked wearingly.

" I doubt it matters all that much," Blue shrugged.

" Well," Hige shrugged back. " It's my life that you keep threatening and I think it does," he said lightly.

Hige watched Blue's tail flicker quickly for a moment. Her ears flattened.

"Ask whatever you want."

"Why do you want to kill me?" Hige asked. He didn't think she'd answer him but her response was immediate.

"Because you're a wolf," she growled.

"So are you," Hige nearly shouted.

Blue turned around. "I shouldn't be," she yelled back.

She stared at the ground and spoke in a much quieter voice. "I wasn't always a wolf. I used to be a human."

" Oh," Hige said. " Well, could it be like how sometimes humans see us as humans too, even though we're wolves?"

" No," Blue shook her head. " No," she repeated " because Pops-" she stopped and shook her head again. " Because my town was attacked by wolves. So I vowed to kill all of them. And I traveled around... and I killed as many of them as I could."

She grit her teeth, " But something changed... I met Cheza… and she called me a wolf… I thought she was crazy. At the time she seemed totally crazy to me!"

" Maybe I'm the crazy one...Everyone calls me one now... a wolf. And I can't kill you. I don't know why. It was never a problem before. But now... I can't do it anymore so… it doesn't really matter what I am or where I go. I'll always have to live with this curse. I think… if there is a god… they must really really hate me."

Blue turned around. Hige could hear her crying again.

"I'm sorry," he said. But she didn't say anything back.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! This is a fanfiction, please support the original authors!_

 _Well, we are slowly getting there lol. Everyone's going through crap right now and it's just so a sad time for everyone. And they're only going to get worse from here. ...Sorry in advance to all Wolf's Rain characters I continuously torture each chapter. Things will (hopefully) get better soon but I'm sure they'll get much worse before._

 _Happy Labor Day ( if you live in America!)_

 _Thanks for reading. Feedbacks follows and shares are always appreciated!_


	29. Wolfs Rain Chapter 29: Running Away

Running Away

Wolf's Rain chapter 29 –

Cheza –

" Would you like a sugared bun, sweetie?"

A tall woman with long black hair asked Cheza. She dug around in a satchel that hung on her hip. She was sitting in a white tent decorated with black and red ribbons.

" Yes," Cheza replied softly. Her thoughts still distracting her, saddening her. She nodded and smiled back anyway.

Cheza had left Hanabito a while ago. Those events were literally in the past, however, they were a part of her now. As much as Cheza wanted to be happy, she had to acknowledge that there were very troubling things going on in her life. She wanted to run away somewhere, to hide in the overwhelmingly large place that was Black City, but she wouldn't allow herself too.

There were too many who needed Cheza to be happy. The wolves who'd put their trust in her. They stood on the side of the street, watched Cheza. Kiba didn't take his eyes off her. And Cher who stood by Cheza's side. The scientist seemed to be growing more and more overprotective and weary of the events going on around them by the second.

Cheza needed to be strong for all of them.

The merchant woman's smile grew. " Take some for all your friends." She nodded at Kiba and the others. "Today's a day for celebrating!"

" Oh, what holiday is it?" Cher asked impassively.

Cheza was sure Cher wanted the information for her own purposes. But Cheza also wanted to know what holiday it was. Humanly created holidays were always filled with joy and celebration.

The merchant woman shoved a patch of unbaked rolls onto a small makeshift stove. Then she answered loudly.

" Oh, you don't know?" The woman's eyes widened. She chuckled, " you must be travelers from far away! Well, I'll tell you…. Lady Jaguara is holding a festival! You see, Lord Orkham, Lord Darcia, and Lady Jaguara were fighting."

The woman looked long and hard at Cheza's face. Cheza blushed and averted her eyes She must have looked confused, which she was. Cheza hadn't had a clue of the bloodshed and war that'd been going on now. She knew of past grievances and long-forgotten war. News of a recent war was a shock to her. She looked at Cher quizzically but the scientist said nothing.

Yet another piece of information Cher hadn't told her about. She was sure Cher had her reasons, Cheza had to admit, Cher keeping secrets from her made her feel sad.

The merchant shook her head and sighed. She looked into Cheza's eyes and frowned as well as if sensing the Flower Maiden's sadness.

" But it's alright now." She smiled reassuringly.

"Lady Jaguara put an end to all of it! They signed a peace treaty and that's why we're celebrating today."

The woman grabbed a paper bag and clapped her hands.

" Now, she asked, " how many do you need?"

Cheza blinked. She quickly continued the number of sugar roll eaters in her head.

" S-six, please. Six is fine."

" Alright then," the woman nodded as she placed six sugared rolls into a small paper bag.

" Thank you," Cheza said again as she reached out to grab the bag.

" Of course." The merchant smiled as Cheza and Cher walked away. " Enjoy the festival!"

Cheza could hear the merchant and many other people yelling in the background. The sounds of the festival were deafening.

Cheza smiled at the wolves as she grew closer to their hiding spot. " Hello," she said. "We've acquired food for everyone!"

The cheer and bustle of the crowd was a welcome change from the death and misery of the recent past. Of course, Cheza still thought of Hanabito.

But it was hard not to get swept up in the festival fun. People were practically singing and dancing in the streets. Merchants were giving away food and drink for free. It warmed Cheza's heart to see people laugh and celebrating instead of crying and hurting each other. Maybe Hanabito was wrong. This world wasn't doomed after all. Cheza wouldn't have to save anyone. They'd already saved themselves. The Flower Maiden held on tight to that hope. It had and would always be her wish that everyone could find peace.

" Well that was easier then I thought it would be," Cher admitted.

She stared at the roll for a long time and then sat down on the curb.

Tsume shook his head. " I don't like this," he muttered.

Kiba's eyes darted to a group of people talking too loud.

" I don't like it either." Kiba agreed. He stood up and stared down the road they'd used to enter the town.

"The way everyone is acting, it can't be safe."

Cheza shook her head. " Right now," she said quietly. "Leaving is not an option." She conveyed all that the merchant had told her.

Kiba and the others weren't nearly as thrilled as Cheza had been but they listened patiently anyway. Cheza waited for someone to say something. After a while, when no one spoke, she took a deep breath and continued.

" You are all tired. It would be better to rest now… while you have the chance."

Kiba and the others seemed unconvinced but they sat down and ate their sugar buns all the same.

Cheza didn't feel tired, she rarely did. Her mouth was dry and her skin felt brittle. She licked her lips and sighed. Surely the desert trip had given her more than enough sun. Hanabito had given her water but she'd quickly become thirsty again.

Cher stood up abruptly. " I'm going to find us some water," she said as if reading Cheza's thoughts.

She walked over to Cheza. "Don't go anywhere and don't attract attention to yourself." Chers even tone was suddenly laced with emotion.

" And you." Cher pointed at Kiba. " Keep her safe." She disappeared into the jubilant crowd.

Toboe stared laughing loudly.

" What is so funny, Toboe?" Cheza responded. She was glad someone was enjoying themselves.

He answered in-betweens giggles, "She told us not to draw any attention to ourselves… But how are we supposed to do that? We're three wolves and a foreign flower person."

Cheza started laughing too.

" I still don't like that woman ordering us around," Tsume grumbled.

" Is there anything that you do like?" Kiba chuckled.

" I'd like to bite your-"

" Hey," Toboe interjected nervously. " S-someone should see if Hige and Blue are alright."

Cheza nodded. " Yes, but this one is supposed to stay here." Though maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she just went back to the hillside. As long as the wolves were with her she'd be fine. Still, she knew Cher would probably be angry.

" I can't go," Kiba said quickly. " Someone has to stay with Cheza."

Cheza smiled at Kiba's words. " We could all go," she suggested.

Kiba shook his head. " That would be too dangerous,"

" If it is just over there… this one thinks it will be fine."

Tsume grumbled and slowly stood up. Cheza wasn't sure why he was always so angry. She felt the urge to ask him about why but she thought the better of it. Who knew what sort of personal trauma he'd endured.

" I'll go… I don't like being around all these humans anyway."

Before anyone could protest he started walking away.

" Well I'm coming too," Toboe shouted as he ran after Tsume.

The sun peaked through the clouds. A beam of light shone down on Kiba's face. He moved closer to Cheza. A serious expression played over his face as he scanned the crowd, presumably looking for danger.

" It appears that it is only the two of us now, Kiba." Cheza smiled and closed her eyes. Despite everything, she felt really happy. It was hard to say they were alone at a time like this. She'd found Cher and the wolves and all the people around her were filled with joy.

Kiba rarely smiled. Obviously, Cheza wanted him to but she believed that he was happy in his own way.

"It's nice being around you Cheza. I'm sure I've said it before but…. I'm glad I found you."

Cheza's smile grew. " You have said it before." She laughed. "But this one never tires of hearing it. Kiba, this one is glad to have found you in this huge strange world. It is truly a miracle."

Cheza stood up and twirled in the wind. She was so excited she had to move around.

" Kiba," she shouted. " Let's enjoy the festival together!"

* * *

Toboe –

" Tsume," Toboe shouted. " Wait up," he panted. " Slow down, at least. You're going too fast."

This went on for a while. Toboe didn't think he could keep up for much longer. Tsume stopped abruptly. Toboe's eyes widened he stopped and nearly crashed into the grey wolf.

Tsume sighed and glared into the ground. " If you're going to follow me around like some stupid puppy then you could at least be quiet about it."

Toboe frowned. He was so out of breath that he could barely say anything.

" You're the one... running after Hige like your tails caught on fire." Toboe regretted what he'd said. He was trying to make Tsume angry.

It worked.

" Why do you have to be so stupid?! I don't care about him… I just can't stay being around humans anymore."

"Oh," Toboe's ears flattened. Before he knew any better he was saying something else stupid. " Well, maybe you just hate them because they know how to be happy and you don't!"

" Then I guess you should go and run back to your owner in Freeze City. I'm sure she'll give you a bunch of nice pats before she turns you into a coat."

" Granny would never do that!"

" How in the hell would you know what humans will and won't do Toboe!? Has a human ever shot one of your friends through the head? Or slaughtered your family over some stupid fairy tail? Or made you feel like you'd be better off not existing?"

Tsume was shaking. He voice sounded raw and his growl had turned into a low gurgling sound.

Toboe didn't think Tsume cared if he answers or not, yet for some reason, he spoke anyway.

" No." He said weakly."

" Then shut the hell up," Tsume growled softly.

The grey wolf turned and started walking away.

Toboe wasn't sure what to do. He just stood there in the middle of the dirt until something snapped inside of him and he broke down crying.

* * *

_Cher –

* * *

Cher weaved through the surprisingly busy Black City streets as fast as she could. Her quest for food and water taking her to a tavern. She was relieved by the distraction. With everyone laughing and dancing around it was easy to avoid Cheza's questions and pretend the world wasn't quickly coming to an end. But this was good news if it was true. The war was over. Not that it meant anything to Cher really. She was sure they'd start another war just as quickly as the last one ended. At least, for now, she didn't have to keep a low profile anymore. This was almost funny to Cher. Sure she'd crossed Darcia and countless others but it wasn't like anyone cared about a lone scientist scuttling around in the dirt.

Cher stopped at well and filled up her canteens. She started walking back when she heard someone scream

" Stop, thief," they shouted.

Cher froze. They hadn't figured her out, had they? Well, it was better to keep walking anyway then stand there giving herself away.

And then it happened. At first, she thought she must be hallucinating but she saw Hubb running straight towards her. She didn't know what to feel. Happiness, sadness, regret? It was all there but she really didn't have time to process any of it.

Hubb stopped running. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something. Then all he did was stand in the middle of the street with a stupid smile on his face.

Two angry looking guys tackled him to the ground.

Cher winced as he hit the pavement.

They pulled him off the ground and we're dragging him away with them.

" Wait," Cher yelled. Before he could stop herself she was lunching forward and grabbing into Hubb's arm. " He's with me."

One of the guys turned around and snickered, "then it looks like you picked the wrong one miss."

He was being stupid and now so was she.

" Yes, I guess so," Cher answered under her breath.

" Still," she said more loudly. " Whatever he took, I'll pay for it." Cher walked closer to the men and dug into her money purse. " How much?"

"$60," the man answered.

Cher glared at Hubb. Then she glared at the man and shoved the money into his hand. He shoved Hubb towards her.

" I'm tellan' yah lass," he said. " Fine, a better man."

" Yes," Cher said, practically feeling her anger bubbling out of her. " Perhaps I should."

She turned and started to walk away.

" Wait, Cher," Hubb called. He was out of breath.

" Don't follow me." She felt like crying. It wasn't like her to be so out of control of her emotions.

" No. Seriously. I don't ever want to see you again." She didn't turn around.

" Cher seriously just wait. Please talk to me," He shouted. "I haven't seen you in so long and-"

People were starting to stare.

Cher turned around and pulled him into the nearest alleyway.

" What are you even doing here?" She was so angry. She really needed to calm down.

" Well… here specifically…? I came to find you and-"

" Hubb I told you not to try and find me, ever. I didn't think I had to be more clear than that."

Cher crossed her arms and took a breath. She sighed. He'd come to find her. Something besides anger stirred in Cher but she pushed it down quickly. Still, tears welled up on the sides of her eyes. She needed to calm down

" If you didn't want to see me then why did you pay for my stuff? Does being a royal scientist pay that well?" Cher couldn't help but notice Hubb's anger when he'd said, royal scientist.

The coins were forgeries. Of course, she wasn't going to tell Hubb that. Cher stared at him for a moment, long and hard. His hair was a mess. He had bags under his eyes. But he still had that stupid grin on her face. He hadn't stopped looking for her and he was so happy to see her. A part of that was a little creepy a little irritating. But deep down it made Cher happy. She was happy to see him, though she wouldn't fully admit that to herself. There was someone out there who cared about her. Someone who'd missed her. Someone who'd spent actual time trying to be with her. She bit her lip. What was wrong with her? Cher didn't need people to miss her or worry about her or anything. Still, thoughts lingered in the back of her mind.

Cheza had her wolves and when this was all over she'd forgot about Cher and go off and be in Paradise. Hubb was right here, right now. He was in front of her.

But she didn't have time for this right now.

" I didn't think stealing things was part of being a detective," She'd waited so long to say something but Hubb replied immediately.

He frowned. " Well… no, but we ran out of money but I really needed the stuff."

" We," Cher thought. Feeling uneasy all of a sudden.

Cher rolled her eyes. " You really needed vodka and cigarettes?"

Hubb shrugged. "Since I didn't have you around, sure."

Cher rolled her eyes again.

" Sorry about all of that. This wasn't exactly how I wanted us to meet back up… but I'm glad I found you, Cher."

Cher didn't say anything. She didn't really know what to say anymore...

" You look beautiful you know," Hubb said breathlessly.

" No, I don't," Cher thought. " I'm covered in dirt." But she kept listening all the same.

" Thank you," Cher said looking at the ground. " But I really have to get going…"

Hubb frowned. "Back to Cheza?"

" Yes," Cher answered with a nod.

" What if I could help with that? What if I could help you, Cher?"

" I doubt you can, Hubb." Still, despite everything, she wanted to believe.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Please support the original authors!_

 _Geez, this chapter was originally a lot more happy... It's not now and I'm not completely sure how but it took a dark turn. And it'll only get worse from here 0: I stopped early because I've been really really crappy and I had a lot of work to do._

 _Anyway comments, follows and shares are very much appreciated! Thanks for reading_!


	30. Wolf's Rain Chapter 30: Speak

Wolfs Rain Chapter 30

* * *

Hige –

Hige had been chasing after Blue for what felt like days, even though it'd only been about ten minutes. His increased body temperature and lack of food in his belly seemed to add extra miles to journey. Hige didn't necessarily mind chasing girls around under normal circumstances. But he had more important reasons this time. But as angry and hurt as she was it didn't seem right to just leave her alone.

Or maybe it was…

" What do I know about, personal tragedy anyway?" He thought with an angry shrug. The answer, which was nothing in Hige's mind. He shook his head.

" Better to try and help someone then not try at all."

Even still, he needed a break. Hige slowed his pace and sauntered over to a cliff. It was a good vantage point; like this he could see a larger portion of the town. Watching human made settlements was always interesting. This town almost seemed like it was in a bubble or something. Everything seemed so self contained. Humans went about their lives here as if they weren't practically living in a cruel dystopian society. He thought for a moment about going down there and joining them. They all seemed like they were having such a good time. Hige was still hungry. His stomach rumbled in agreement.

He shook his head and said to himself, " no, I can't. I'm on a mission now."

Hige nodded to himself and got back to looking for Blue. He had to put his nose to the ground, literally, he needed to track her scent. His tail twitched excitedly. Usually his tracking skills were reserved for hunting game so this was a nice change of pace. Though hunting for food right now wouldn't be the worst thing in the world right now.

A familiar scent filled Hige's nostrils.

Toboe.

Hige turned and saw Toboe running towards him, shouting his name.

" Hey," Hige said. " Aren't you supposed to be down there?" He turned towards the town.

Toboe nodded. His eyes were watery and his usual cheery smile had dissipated. " I was just looking for…um… you I guess," the little wolf sniffled.

" Um, kid are you alright?"

Toboes ears flattened. He took a long deep breath. " Y-yeah, I'm fine… thanks."

"Is Blue alright?" Toboe asked in an equally shaky voice.

"She was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her up but… if she has so injuries I can probably help her…"

Hige debated a moment wither or not should like. He decided on the truth… or at least a version of it

" Blue… well she kinda disappeared."

" What," Toboe shouted. " This is terrible." He was shaking.

" Calm down, kid... I'm going to find her."

"But what if she," Toboe sort of shouted yelling, then he spoke in a quieter voice," what if she attacks Tsume or…oh no what if?"

" Well I doubt she'll… I mean maybe but she probably won't-"

Toboe closed his eyes and then turned around. " I'll be right back," he yelled. Before Hige could protest, he was gone.

" Alone again, I see," Hige thought out loud. After a while he resumed his search.

* * *

\- Kiba –

Kiba still didn't fully understand why Cheza, or humans in general, like festivals so much. Everything was too loud, over stimulating and obnoxious. He'd forced himself to learn more of their culture. For Cheza's sake.

Kiba watched wearingly as someone pinned a flower in Cheza's hair. He stood conflicted, wanting to stay with her but also wanting to keep a safe distance from anything. When he looked at humans something dangerous stirred in his heart. He hated them. The mere sight of them almost sending him into a murderous rage. Despite all of that he wanted to be near Cheza. but it was a yearning that he couldn't deny, so he had to stay be Cheza's side.

* * *

Cheza –

Cheza hummed a tune she'd never heard before but liked anyway. She felt the soft flower petals that made the crown on top of her head. She laughed and turned to Kiba,

" How funny. A flower for a flower."

He chuckled. An unsurprisingly beautiful sound. His ears twitching slightly as he made it.

The two of them moved about slowly, Cheza really wanted to soak everything in and Kiba nicely matched her pace.

They went at this for a while, dancing, eating and just generally doing things they wouldn't normally have the time to do. It was a refreshing change of pace.

Some venders were pulling people off the street,

" Celebrate our victory in this time by participating in the first pond flower throw challenge! Hit a flower with a ball, win a prize."

Cheza stopped immediately. Her eyes widened.

" Kiba, it's beautiful!"

Kiba slowly stopped and turned around. He looked down the road one last time and sighed, like he really wanted to keep walking.

" Cheza are you sure you want to stop here."

Cheza nodded. " Yes. Did you see all those flowers, Kiba?" Cheza's smile grew, her eyes widened. It didn't even matter what the game was, she wanted to get closer to the flowers.

" The way the kind of float on the water, they look happy like that. Like they're enjoying the festival too." Cheza smiled and laughed again. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't stopped smiling and laughing since Kiba came into her life

Lady Jaguara must really like flowers. This one would like to meet her one day…" Cheza mused as she held one of the flowers in her hand. It was still attached to the lake bed so she let the water run through her hand. It was so vibrant and full of life. Just like she and Kiba and this fantastic town.

" It is truly wonderful that the people of this town can live in peace."

For a while, Kiba didn't say anything, then he spoke quietly

" If the fighting between humans is over… that is a good thing…"

Cheza nodded and then threw one of the balls towards one of the flower targets, it didn't go anywhere near the flower. It landed in the water with a thunk. With a shrug, she tried again.

" Would you like to try, Kiba"

Kiba shook his head.

" I just like watching you," he said softly."

The way the light glinted off the water, the breeze rustled Cheza's hair, she couldn't deny this was the type of peace she wanted.

Cheza didn't win anything, not that she minded. They'd started walking again, the passage of time hardly making a difference to anyone. Being able to relax and walk down the street side by side with a wolf was good enough for her. But she really wanted to talk to Kiba.

There was a time when Cheza considered herself a good conversationalist. She'd been trained to speak eloquently but she'd forgotten most of that. Besides, speaking with those in court was completely different than speaking with a wolf.

* * *

\- Kiba -

" So has anything exciting ever happened to you during you're travels, Kiba?" Cheza asks."

Kiba shakes his head slightly and sighs quietly. He really doesn't like talking about his past. But he loves talking to Cheza so he answers anyway.

" Not really." He closes his eyes and clenches his jaw, thinking of the past and trying to disregard it.

He watches Cheza's smile faded, the sparkle in her eye fades.

Cheza ," are you alright?" His knows he's upset her with his depressed attitude.

Cheza nods her head.

" This one is fine," she smiled. But her smile quickly fades. " This one is only worried that you are sad."

" No, no," Kiba said. " I'm happy when I'm with you Cheza."

Cheza smiled " this one is glad."

Sighing again, Kiba decides to keep talking. " My life hasn't always been easy, but I don't want you to be sad. The fact that I made it this far makes everything else worth it. Despite everything, Cheza, I couldn't be happier with my life."

He'd said it to make her feel better but it was definitely the truth. An understatement really. Kiba's life had been so terrible in the past. He was happy to put that behind him now. It didn't matter to Kiba if Cheza was a human, not anymore at least. These things were trivial now. When you've spent your whole life wandering through trash and alley ways, there wasn't anything better in the world then finding someone that you belong with. Finding Cheza, Hige, Toboe and even Tsume was the best thing that'd ever happened to him.

Kiba watched Cheza's smile return. He smiled too, though hers was much more vibrant and full of life then hers was. " This one is glad you're alright now, Kiba." She smoothed down her tunic with her small hands.

No matter how many times he looked at her he was still mystified by her small and gentle appearance. Most humans naturally looked like they were always ready to cause trouble. Kiba always needed to be ready to fight and potentially kill them. They'd been nothing but a thorn in Kiba's side from the very beginning. But not Cheza, she was different. She was the most lovely being he'd ever met.

" What was life outside like, Kiba? This one hasn't spent much time out so… it would be great if you could tell me about your life before… even if they're bad… but if you don't want to you don't have to."

Cheza bit her lip and darted her eyes towards a couple snuggling up close to each other. She smiled and looked away

" I don't mind, Cheza. Its not anything important really… and you'd probably just get sad hearing about it… but I'll tell you."

She nodded and smiled, " I'd love to hear anything you want to tell me, Kiba."

Kiba smiled slightly, his chest suddenly stirring with warmth. He took a deep breath, thought for a moment and started from the beginning.

* * *

\- Blue

"What is wrong with me? Why do I keep running away. He was being nice to me and I just couldn't stand it." Blue shook her head trying to ignore her own thoughts.

" I don't deserve anyone's niceness

Blue shivered even though it was hot outside. There was still dust in her mouth and eyes and throat. She tried to block out the sounds of people laughing and having fun made her feel even more pathetic.

A shiver went down her spine. She stood up suddenly. Maybe it was because she'd been hunting wolves for so long, or that she was a wolf but she could sense it's presence somehow.

She shifted uncomfortably, thankful for the weight of knives. In that moment she lunged, completely forgetting about the kindness Hige had showed her.

It was the grey wolf from before. He leapt back in a fluid motion, as if he'd completely been expecting to get attacked in an alley way. She thought for a moment that this might be the end for her. Her blade hadn't reached him and even if it had, as she'd said before, she didn't really have it in her to kill anymore wolves.

Blues thoughts lingered in the back of her mind," Maybe he'll just end my suffering." She squoze her eyes shut and held her breath.

The wait was over quickly, but she wasn't dead. Her eyes popped open as he slammed her up against the alley wall. The feeling of cold steel against her neck was troubling. But she didn't struggle.

" What would be the point?" She thought glumly.

Instead of cutting her, he stared at her with the same look on her face that she recognized.

As much as there was a part of herself who hated to admit it, Blue didn't want to kill the wolf in front of her. She guessed the wolf in front of her, Tsume, was the same way. Two bitter souls too miserable to notice the good in the world.

Blue laughed. At this point she was sure she was going insane but she laughed any way and kept laughing until she could hear Tsume shouting at her.

" Hey, he said, standing farther away from her. " What is wrong with you?" His voice was low and angry.

" I don't know anymore," Blue replied shaking her head slightly. Her voice was just as dry and shaky as her body. Her tremors hadn't stopped since yesterday.

Blue watched Tsume open his mouth to say something. He bit his lips, shrugged and looked at the ground instead.

" I don't know…" Tsume grumbled. His ears drooping low as he spoke.

" There was definitely a time in my life when I wouldn't have cared… Or I started to care to much… Or maybe would have just killed you on the spot… I don't know what happened to you in the past, why you tried to kill me before or even why I'm talking to you know… I guess we're just…"

" Kindred spirits," Blue said quietly.

Tsume's eyes widened and he took another step backwards.

He shook his head and stared at the ground.

" I didn't think there'd ever be a time in my life when would go against my better judgement like this but I guess there's a first time for everything."

" What are you talking about?"

Tsume shook his head again. " It's not really important anymore… But I wonder in the grand scheme of things how important it is to hold a grudge…"

* * *

Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Please support the original authors!

Well this chapter is a lot shorter then I wanted but, unfortunately, school and work have been kicking my butt. These poor characters have like a million issues to work through. I guess we'll get there eventually!

Thanks for reading! Follows and comments are always appreciated!


	31. Wolf's Rain Chapter 31 - Through Madness

Wolf's Rain Chapter 31 –

Tread Through Madness

\- Darcia –

* * *

Darcia didn't believe in karma. After living a few years on Earth, he believed that his existence was cursed. The irony of it all. He truly was. He'd thought as a child, that he must have done something terrible in his past life. The curse that'd fallen on his family. The curse that how great grandfather had inflicted on him. The curse held within Darcia's right eye. It was throbbing today, worse then usual. It hardly bothered him anymore. More importantly than anything else, The curse had fallen on his beloved, Hamona. This was all his fault. He thought that over and over again and again. In Darcia's mind, on repeat were thoughts of her. His mistakes weighed heavily on his mind as well. A long time ago, surely, he'd have gone insane. Drowned in a pit of his own agony. If not for Hamona

If only he hadn't not fallen in love with her, she could have lived a normal life. It was too late now. To late for regrets, sadness, any sort of emotion really. Long ago Darcia made a vow. He'd free himself and Hamona of the curse, no matter what it took.

But fate conspired against him again. It collectively took a decade to create a perfect Flower Maiden. Gods knows how many people were killed. How many resources they'd used. When they'd finally created her hope seemed right around the corner. But the war that had started was almost as horrendous as the curse.

While the war raged, and continued to rage, it took months to track her down. Those stupid scientists had lost her. Only for him to finally find her, on the street in the freezing cold, about to die from hypothermia. It took mere days for her to escape again.

This was of course, also Darcia's fault.

He'd tried to be nice. Just go out and politely ask her to come with him. Steal her away from her captors and head back to the Keep. Heaven forbid anything worked in his favor.

The Flower Maiden, Cheza they called her; was throwing a wrench in his plans. Just as things had finally starting to work in his favor they'd spun out of control again. He was sure she couldn't have made it that far. Unless the shared visions of the Flower Maidens

had finally come true.

Darcia had always hated wolves. Most animals were pests anyway. He wasn't exactly sure why the lives of men and wolves had become so intertwined so terribly. Why the curse of his family had anything to do with wolves. Darcia must have read every book he could find, relating to Paradise, wolves, his family's curse. Anything that could possibly help Hamona.

How much time Darcia spent, awake, thinking of ways to break the curse?

He didn't sleep or eat often enough any more. But what did it really matter…

Darcia fell asleep in the carriage and woke up a while later. The carriage jolted forward. One of his servants sounded a horn. He knew what it meant. Groggily, he stood up and pulled out his sword.

Jaguara… her troops were trying to attack him again. Trying being the operative word. Her solders were actually pretty pathetic. So it wasn't a matter of how much strength his soldiers needed to posses. Rather how much time he had to waste killing them.

Darcia did not, in fact, have any time to waste. On this. On Jaguara. That woman infuriated him in such a way that it almost frightened him. How in the world could Hamona and Jaguara be of the same blood. Someone that spiteful and evil, related to someone of such sweetness and purity.

A part of him hoped Jaguara had come after him directly so he could run her through with his sword.

The battle field, no matter how small called to him. The air was warm today. He preferred crisp fall days but this was fine to. He'd kill them all just the same.

One of his maid's called to him.

" They're fast approaching milord. There must be thirty or so."

This normally peaceful roadside was suddenly turned into a battle field.

Darcia smiled a rueful smile. If Jaguara wanted him dead so badly then he'd just have to kill her first. He'd have to kill all these soldiers first..

The enemy soldiers approached over the hill, advancing on Darcia and the few servant's he'd brought with him. He'd stabbed a few with his sword, feeling the metal vibrate softly in his hand.

Blood sloshed on the dusty road side. The screams and howls of his opponents rung in his ears. How many had he killed now? Over the past few years, he must have killed thousands of people. It'd stopped mattering after a while. It'd stopped mattering a long time ago.

One of the soldiers weapons grazed his right hand. Darcia's eyes widened as he watched his own blood drip. Onto the ground. He hardly registered the pain. Barely realizing what he'd done until afterwards, Darcia cut the soldiers head off. He was dimly aware of all the blood running through the road. It was almost a river.

Thankfully, the battle was over quickly. It really was pathetic. Darcia couldn't deny that Jagura herself was strong enough.

Her men were not. Compared to her and especially to him, they were nothing but filthy rats. Bums off the street that she'd been able to convince to join her cause, whatever that was. He'd always thought she was a bit unstable.

Darcia stood in the middle of it all. Next to the blood and cooling corpses of those he'd killed. He didn't know how long he'd been standing there. It was only when one of his subordinates called to him, something they didn't do very often, that he'd realized how much time had gone by.

A day must have passed. He wasn't on the battle field anymore. He was riding in his carriage again. Going to see Hamona, after all, if he didn't see her soon he was sure he was going to lose his mind.

The more time Darcia spent away from Hamona , the more he worried about her. His worry wasn't going to make her pain lessen any. Worry, guilt, anger, sadness; none of those emotions would break the curse.

He'd made a promise and he had to keep it. There wasn't any way he could stop himself from falling in love with her. He'd warned her if the curse and she'd accepted it anyway. Not that it was her fault at all, or even his. She was so brave, so caring, so open minded that he could never fault her for it. If anything it was his ancestors, the wolves, the greed of men. His right eye throbbed. The pain coursed through his veins, becoming such normal part of his life that it barely mattered anymore.

It helped sometimes not to think of her. To try to focus. On the other hand, Hamona was all he wanted to think about.

Darcia would capture Cheza later. It would happen. She couldn't have gotten that far. He had to keep reminding himself. Going home was the most important thing right now. He could sharpen his weapons, feed his horses, his men and most importantly, he could see Hamona. Not just in his dreams and nightmares and thoughts but in the flesh.

Hamona. Her hair was breath taking. Long, blonde, silky. Her eyes were an ocean, full of life and beautiful. Her lips were more delicious then any court feast.

Darcia thought of picnics on sunny, perfect days. Candle light dinners, royal balls.

Happy times. They'd spent their time together, rolling around in the grass. Whenever she'd touch him it sent electricity through his spine. They'd just and it made him feel alive. She'd smile at him and it made life worth living. Keep laughing, smiling, having fun.

" I'll keep you safe," he'd pledged. " I'll break the curse. I promise. I won't let it ruin our lives."

His eye throbbed as he'd said that. As if the curse was challenging him. Mocking, torturing. The pain meant nothing to him then.

Even now the pain meant nothing. It didn't matter what hell Darcia had to endure to save Hamona. Whatever it was he could still take worse. There would probably be worse, too. The world was in a shambles after all.

More time passed. More agonizing waiting.

Suddenly, the carriage ride was suffocating. The air tense and miserable. When the carriage finally reached its destination, the outside was no better. Blood soaked, oppressive scalding air. Broken memories, unending pain and suffering. But what could he do besides trudge forward, ignoring everything else.

Darcia could feel the cool metal of his sword clinking on his hip. That was a comfortable at least. An absolute. His sword wasn't going anywhere. The details stopped mattering. He could use his sword to cut through the bull crap of his life.

He would save Hamona. That too was an absolute. It wasn't, not yet, but he would make it so.

He held his hand to the stone wall as he climbed the stairs of his keep. It was exhausting, breathing, living pretending in front of his subordinates. It used to not be pretend. He used to actually smile. To feel calm normally.

Darcia steadied himself, or at least he tried. It wasn't as easy as all of that.

Was that screaming in his head or were they really screaming here?

His hand was wet. He stared at it in a daze. Red clung to the walls. Blood. Not his own. Though he had to check twice to make sure. Darcia was already covered in cuts and burses himself. However, they were bandaged now

Someone ran down the steps, trying to charge Darcia with a sword.

He unsheathed his sword and plunged it into his enemies chest. More came, to attack. He killed them all.

His castle had been in a shambles for a while. When Jaguara or Orkham soldiers attacked they left it a mess. His servants didn't often have time to sweep up the broken glass from vases or dying flowers. He was tired, his servants were tired and there wasn't enough time. All that mattered anymore was Hamona. Perhaps, at times, not, being murdered by Jaguara.

The dread that filled his castle was thicker, darker. Blinding, almost. Something was almost always wrong in his life but today it just felt worse.

Darcia's eye throbbed. His sword, now blood covered, hung on his hip. It stained his clothes, his skin, his soul.

Today it was worse.

Today a servant was screaming in his face. That was a rarity.

" She's gone, she's gone, she's gone" one of the maids kept shouting over and over again. Blood gushed from her wounds, her mouth. Her eyes were red. A broken sword held tightly in her hand.

" Lady Jaguara took her…"

Her eyes closed. She went still.

She'd tried her best. He'd tried his best. Apparently just doing your best wasn't good enough.

Darcia held her in his arms. A long time ago, the maid, Beatrice, was just a cute girl who dreamed of serving Nobility.

How many lives had Darcia ruined. How much of his own blood and the blood of innocents had he spilled? How many had to suffer because of the choices he made? The suffering. The curse. The screams. The blood. They were unending. His eye throbbed. He had to make it stop.

" If she's gone…" Darcia's voice sounded strange to himself." Then I will get her back."

He rode on horse back. The wind gusted through his hair. His clothes was still soaked with blood. None of that mattered. He'd get her back. He'd save her. He had to.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Please support the original creators._

 _Well the website is acting weird (as_ _usual)_ _but here is chapter 31. I've been meaning to write a Darcia pov chapter for a long time... I still have mixed feelings about him, after all this time, but I like how the chapter turned out. It was sad and interesting to write... I hope you felt the same way reading it lol_

 _Thanks for reading! (:_


	32. Wolf's Rain Chapter 32- Howling at You

_Wolfs Rain Chapter 32 - Howling at You_

* * *

 **Hubb –**

After he finally found Cher he wasn't going to lose her again. He'd do whatever it took to get her back he'd come this far he wasn't going to give up now. Especially after seeing her face.

She glared at him for a while but eventually decided to start walking. To Cheza obviously. So he followed her because, what else was there for him to do.

" Who've you been traveling with," Cher asked without turning around.

" What," are you trying to interrogate me?" He laughed but she jerked him over towards a blind spot in the street.

" Yes," she replied, glaring at him.

" Is it one of Darcia's Nobles? Are they here to arrest me?"

At first he thought she might be joking but the look in her eye said otherwise

Hubb put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

" Of course not," he said expelling some smoke.

" Why would I want to arrest you."

Cher sighed. Her brows were knitted together. Cher turned around, glared at him and took a step forward. Her face shifted into an even fiercer expression as she likes looked up into the sky. For a moment, her mouth was a pencil thin line.

" Never mind."

Hubb suddenly felt very nervous. Mostly for Cher but partially for himself. Before, Cher had never broken the law but he knew she'd do anything for Cheza. If she was worrying about being arrested what could she have done?

" To answer you're question," he replied. " The man I'm travaling with isn't trying to arrest you. He's a wolf hunter or something… I thought he'd lead me to you." Hubb smiled, " And I guess he did.

Cher crossed her arms. " Good." She closed her eyes and took a breath. " Now leave me alone and don't ever talk to me again."

" Cher," Hubb yelled. " What did you do?"

She shrugged. " It's fine, Hubb. Don't worry about it. I'm fine and I need to get back to Cheza."

He knew that whatever Cher had done to keep herself safe and u captured it'd been because of how smart she was. But now that he knew she was in trouble he wasn't going to just leave her alone.

Hubb opened his mouth to speak, to protest.

Hubb shook his head. Though he was surprised by Cher's sudden ferocity.

" No I just-"

"No," she interrupted." She asked in a hushed voice. " I'm a criminal now so just… stop."

" I'm glad your worried about me," Hub smiled.

" I'm not," Cher replied flatly, still whispering. " You're just too loud and if you keep trying to follow me I'll shoot you."

She brushed a hand over her thigh where Hubb assumed her gun must be.

He doubted she would really shoot him. The look in her eyes said otherwise though. That was beside the point anyway. She'd already started to walk away.

_Hubb sucked in a breath.

He took a step forward anyway.

" The way things are… I think you could use some help." He matched her pace. She held her hand to her gun belt and glared at him.

" I want to help you Cher," Hubb whispered. " I don't care how much trouble your in… Your troubles are my troubles. That's how it always should have been."

Cher sighed. She looked off into the distance.

" I appreciate you worrying about me. But I'd rather get beat down by the world with you then be safe without you."

Cher rolled her eyes.

" Besides… when your fighting a large group of people… the government… it's important to get as many people involved in your cause. The man I'm traveling with… he knows his way around a fight. He'd probably want to help… if given the right amount of money."

" I suppose we're both running with some unsavory people these days" Cher said under her breath.

" Yeah, I suppose so," Hubb laughed.

She looked at him. Didn't stop walking but really looked at him.

" If you're serious," Cher started. He opened his mouth to speak and she glared.

" If you're serious then fine. You can come with me. Whatever the consequences are… whatever hell we tread through… I can't be responsible for anything else that happens."

" Now that you own a gun I don't think it would be safe to hold you accountable for anything." Hubb laughed. He took a deep breath, ignoring her glower. " Oh course…," he said seriously.

" Good, now take me to your friend."

" He's probably in the tavern… and friend is probably a stretch."

" Sure…"

Hubb turned and started walking in a different direction.

" Thanks for being here," he thought he'd heard Cher say. When he turned around she was starting into her notebook.

With a shrug he thought, I'm sure I imagined that.

* * *

- **Tsume** -

" That's pretty fucked up…" Tsume sighed. " If you're telling the truth that is."

Which I doubt… he was going to say that but who knew what strange things could happen in the world anymore. You had abnormalities like Cheza. The fact that to some they looked like humans. It revolted him… what must Tsume's human form look like?

He wasn't a superstition wolf. Not after what happened to his pack. You can't afford to stay a pup when humans are out slaughtering you're friends left and right.

Tsume laughed a dry bitter laugh. If there was a God, he was cruel. They'd found Cheza but she still hadn't done anything a normal human could do. Still no Paradise. Fate was cruel and life was a huge sack of crap. Just as his happiness was stolen away it only made sense that a wolf hunter would be turned into a wolf.

Blue glared back at him. She wasn't laughing. Tsume could see the anger in her face, the disgust, the pang of sadness. Toboe stood pressed up against the wall; his eyes filled with fear. He was shaking but he'd still come around to be near Tsume.

It was hard not to feel somewhat relived. Somewhat sorry. After what I've done, Tsume thought, I'm shocked he came back at all. Shocked, doubtful, happy.

" I don't really care if you believe me or not…" Blue started "It's the truth…I can't kill wolves anymore. Not the way that I am now…" Her ears lowered and her frown grew.

Tsume didn't want to look at Blue. She reminded him too much of himself. He couldn't look at Toboe. He'd either smile dumbly at him for coming back or glare at him and scare him away. So Tsume looked at the ground.

" You're building a great case for yourself," Tsume muttered. " If you want are pack… you'll have to try harder then that."

His ears flattened in irritation. Hadn't he been the same way? The first time he met Kiba he tried to kill him. Or what about all the wolves in his old pack?

So Tsume took a deep breath and asked. Do you want to join are pack or not?"

" I don't want to but… I think I need to…" Blue shook her head. " You need me… I'm strong. I can help you protect Cheza. I can help protect all of you from...hunters…"

" Maybe," Tsume shrugged. " But that doesn't explain why you want to be a part of our pack."

Blue bit her lip. " I have my reasons…"

" Which would be what? Slitting our throats in the middle of the night?"

" No," Blue shouted.

" Then what then," Tsume growled. " Because I don't have time to talk to some deluded wolf killer who thinks she's a wolf. If you even think of killing my friends I'll kill you myself."

What the hell am I saying, Tsume thought.

Blue shook her head furiously. She looked on the verge of tears. " I just can't keep killing anymore. So I don't think that would be a problem."

Tsume's growl grew, " It better not be…"

" I just don't understand why anyone has to be killed," Toboe muttered. " There has to be a way for us to get along somehow."

Surely, this wolf girl wasn't responsible for the murder of Tsume's old pack. Yet, he truly wanted her to suffer. He remembered when he tried to kill Blue out in the sand dunes. She looked so small and vulnerable. She wasn't even conscious. Of course any weakness could get you killed. It was Toboe that'd stopped him in the end… his kindess

Maybe it was the rage and bloodlust in his heart that'd drove him to this place. His cruel unfair destiny. Though it was the same fate that'd allowed him to meet the other wolves in the pack that he had claimed to be a part of. His friends, he had said.

This is why destiny couldn't be trusted. You had to shape it with your own paws.

Somehow, Toboe had managed to stay a kind and caring wolf despite all the crap going on in the world. Perhaps he was just a sheltered puppy but at least he had the ability to not solve all his problems with violence.

" I don't know how you could possibly say that…" Blue growled at Toboe. " Considering you wolves started killing humans first."

Toboe opened his mouth to say something but it was Tsume who shouted.

" That is not true!"

" You humans killed my pack. Pups, elders, the injured, the weak, you just slaughtered everyone."

" Are you insane? You wolves killed my whole Village and gods knows how many others. My family," her eyes clouded over. She was crying now. So was Tsume. So was Toboe. What a big emotional mess this all was "Everyone is gone." Water, his tears, dripped on the pavement.

" I wouldn't call myself insane… you're the one going around telling people you used to be a human and that God turned you into a wolf."

" Its true," Blue shouted. " Maybe not God but someone… something cursed me." Don't you remember… when we fought… I was a human then."

"You're going to have to narrow it down… humans try to kill me all the time…" Tsume muttered.

But as Blue stared at him with that fierce look, he couldn't help but remember her. A woman with a wolf like sorry about her had tried to attack him. In Freeze City, on a roof top, in an alley way.

" Yeah," he muttered softly. His voice raw from screaming. "I guess you were."

There was a tenseness in the air. Tsume sighed. Blue sighed.

" I've made some questionable decisions…" He confessed. Unable to stop himself. "I've killed humans before…just as I've killed other wolves…

Tsume's heart raced. He thought of the time when his pack had finally collapsed. He could still taste the blood on his mouth. Still hear the cries and gunshots. Perhaps there really were good humans. Cheza didn't seem like she had a mean bone in her body. Though she'd lived a sheltered life, away from human bull crap. Surely there were bad wolves. Tsume's old pack leader. His stupid lackeys. Was Tsume really being a good wolf by judging others when he'd made decisions probably just as awful. What reason did Blue really need to join a wolf pack if she was indeed now a wolf. Tsume lied to himself, he lied to everyone about his own reasons for joining. Deep down he knew what he really desired. Friends. A pack. A family. Somewhere to go that didn't make him feel ashamed of himself. Toboe, Hige, Kiba and Cheza. They had no idea what he'd done in the past. He didn't think he wanted anyone too but, the more he thought of it, the more he thought that they'd accept him anyway. After everything that'd happened between them Toboe had come back for him. Hige and Kiba hadn't kicked Tsume to the curb yet either. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he cared about all of them. Even Cheza who, despite being a human, he couldn't help but hold some genuine affection for.

" I have no right to judge you." He took a deep breath. " We've a done bad things in the past… But it's the past. I don't care about it anymore. We're in the present now…. If you want to join our pack… if you think you're a wolf then… whatever. We could always use more pack members."

" I'll repeat myself though…" Tsume couldn't help but say. "If you even think of hurting my pack, I will kill you… in the most gruesome way I can think of."

Blue stared at him for a moment and then nodded her head. "Of course, I understand."

It seemed kind of silly, to be so worried about about anyone else. Back in Freeze City Tsume had taken the met deplorable humans he could find and welcomed them into his pack. Things were different now. He looked at Toboe, thought of Hige, Kiba and Cheza. He had others that he cared about, as much as he kind of hated to admit it. Caring, protecting others, made you vulnerable and vulnerability get you killed. But Tsume couldn't keep putting up stone walls around his heart, metaphorically of course. With all the hatred weiled up in his heart, it was hard to live. He didn't want to be selfish towards his old pack. He would always be haunted by their deaths. The thing was, he didn't have to live in a cloud of his own hatred anymore. He had pack mates… friends… And he wanted to live with them.

He sprang himself off the alley wall and sighed. " Let's round everybody up and get the hell out of this town."

Blue and Toboe nodded.

" I'll um talk to you later," he muttered to Toboe in a voice that sounded way less self assured and nervous then he wanted it too.

* * *

 **Hige**

Hige didn't know why exactly but his legs had carried him to a strange place. There was a ringing in his ears that he'd sometimes heard in his dreams. A loud buzzing that compleded him to walk down long streets towards a weird looking castle. Hige rationalized his feelings, he was obviously hungry. He was looking for food and there had to be good tasting food in this huge building.

His tail wagged excitedly. It wasn't like he was looking to see what his past was like but if the past literally buzzing in his ear he had to listen to it. Blue would surely be fine on her own, it was probably for the best to give her some space. She had a lot of things to work out. His ears drooped. Maybe that meant not to leave her alone.

I should probably go back. Hige thought. The ringing in his head grew stronger.

No, best to get things taken care of now.

" Hi, Pet. How are you doing?" She was beautiful and as she came over to him she ran her hand through his hair. Hisbtail wagged " I'm glad to see your still alive." She smiled and went back to sit back at a strange machine. She pressed a few buttons on it and took a deep happy sounding breath. Her long blonde swayed at her side as did the sword around her hip.

" Oh," Hige says. " You know me? Are you from my past." His tail wagged even harder.

The woman nodded. " I'm surprised you survived this long. It almost makes me feel sorry, having to kill you and all." She turned around and smiled. Cheerful, unnerving as if she hadn't mentioned murder at all.

Had she? Hige thought. Maybe I'm hallucinating.

She stood up and unsheathed a sword.

Nope, never mind.

" Huh," Hige took a step back. He laughed, nervously. "You can't be serious…"

She was, probably. Why did every woman I meet try to kill me? Says a lot about my personality, Hige thought with a chuckle.

Of course it wasn't really funny and he was really starting to believe this could be the end for him.

He took another step back, slowly so she wouldn't notice. She took a step forward. Her smile was suddenly something wicked.

" Oh," she gasped. " That's good pet. I like the look of fear in your eyes."

" Um, thanks Lady but can you, like maybe not kill me?"

The woman laughed. " I think not. Oh. Do you not remember…?"

Higes eyes widened. She was drawing closer. He didn't like the feeling of being prey. Even when he'd killed though, hed never toyed with his food. No. He wasn't going to be killed by some strange sword toting stranger, even if they were attractive.

" No," Hige asked. He shifted his eyes ever so slightly. He needed to escape fast. " I don't, unfortunately."

The woman laughed again. " I suppose it's only fitting that I refresh your memory… More misery that way…More blood. I'm not sure what happened to you recently.. Though I suppose it would be interesting to see what happened to you on your travels. What misery you endured before that time."

She ran her hand down her sword and her gaze flickered slightly to something else.

Hige took the chance. He ran as fast as he could towards one of the windows.

" Ooo," the woman cooed, " trying to run are you? Well that's fine, the chase is what makes it exciting."

Hige could hear the sword vibrate. It's strange technology sent a gust towards the cabinet he hid behind.

Wood burst open, some splintered into his fur. He winced. He bled. He was already running again. Perhaps it was time to stop running away. He turned around. She was suddenly frighteningly close. Slashing at him with her sword.

No. Running was the best option.

" My name is Lady Jaguara." You'd do best to remember it this time." Jaguara bent her legs downward and curtised like this was another day at court.

She chuckled. " You helped me kill all the wolves before, Hige and you weren't afraid to die then. What changed? I wonder… Was it all those wolves you lead right into my city… did you make them your pack too? Is that why you forget you're past… So could live a normal life?"

Yes it was, Hige thought sadly. Bitterly. Was his new pack, his friends, going to get killed like the last time? Or was this all just a lie to get his guard down. To torture him. He tried to keep perfectly still anyway He didn't want her to find him again. What was the plan after that though? Jaguara wasn't just going to give up and leave, he was sure. He couldn't keep running, hiding, waiting for someone to save him.

"If you'd like," Jaguara shouted. "Since you've been such a good dog, I'll give you a choice. I will kill you with your friends. Or perhaps you'd rather die alone..."

Hige's fur bristled. He ran straight towards her. No one was killing his friends.

" No," he shouted. " I don't want that! I don't want any of that. You can't kill them," he growled.

He jumped up, snapped at her. Not ever sure what he was doing until after he was laying on the ground, bleeding.

He wimpered. Wondered if this was going to be the end for him. Hige stood up, he growled. Visions of his pack ran through his head. What about the other pack that he'd supposedly helped slaughter? He gaged and started to run again. Jaguara trailed slowly behind him. She chuckled. Her sword dragged along the ground.

Hige ran into a room with wires coming every which way. A woman was laying down in the middle of a pool filled with flowers and water. Her eyes were closed. She looked peaceful, strangely like Jagura. Out of place in an area where he was currently being hunted.

" You won't escape," Jagura said in an obnoxious sing songy voice. " Your trapped here… You all are." She grinned. " I was going to kill you know… since you didn't answer me. Now I think I will wait. This way," she explained as if she was telling him about the weather or something. " This way you can watch you're friends suffer too. Won't that be nice?" She smiled.

"No, it won't" Hige muttered sadly.

Jaguara looked at the sleeping woman and her gaze darkened.

" This is Hamona. You wouldn't remember her either but… I used to talk about her a lot."

Jagura took a few steps forward. " She grabbed the identical looking woman by the neck. The most gentle gesture the woman had seen her commit. Still she held her sword in her other hand firmly. She hadn't forgotten about killing. Hamona's hair fell back into the pool. Water spilled out onto the floor. Hige noticed Hamona was naked. He knew that wasn't necessary normal for humans to do. They almost always wore clothes unless they were mating and even then… But this the time to think of these things. If he stood around her any longer Jagura would kill him for sure.

" She stole Darcia away from me, you know… So I'm still very upset at her. I love her though" Jaguara nuzzled Hamona and gently placed her back in the pool. "Though I suppose she isn't all to blame. Darcia is such a fool."

She sighed and gripped her sword into her hands. Blood dripped onto the floor. " It's great really…" Jaguara grinned. "Once I kill all of you them… I can put the past behind me."

Vibration's emanated from the ground. Wires started to glow. Jagura hummed and it seemed that with each passing second, Hige's pain grew.

" You're sacrifice will help my cause greatly, pet. Just hold on until you're friends get here." She stepped forward, jabbed him in the ribs. Hige howled out in pain.

Jaguara smirked. " That's it, pet. Howl for me."

Hige felt his consciousness slip away. His ears burned. He couldn't allow any of his friends deaths. He couldn't save his old pack but he'd be dammed if he couldn't save his new one.

* * *

 _Hello and thanks for reading Chapter 32 of my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! This is a fan fiction. Please support the original author!_

 _I had a lot fun writing this chapter ( which makes me sound like some sort of horrible sadist I'm sure lol) But really, everyone is trying their absolute hardest in these trying tines. Don't worry guys... The times are only going to get more trying from here on out!_

 _Comments, likes, shares, follows and anything else are highly appreciated! Have a spooky Halloween everyone!_


	33. Wolf's Rain Chapter 33 Hard Feelings

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 33 - Hard Feelings**

* * *

 **Toboe –**

Toboe had been thinking a lot about how he could help his pack. Especially now, when every little effort counted. His friends were tired and with all the walking and running they'd been doing for the last few days, so was he. Of course, the biggest relief was that Blue and Tsume weren't going to fight anymore.

Toboe took a deep breath, which reminded him of what he was doing. How can he be useful? He could heal others but that was after the fact after they were already injured and bruised up from a fight.

Toboe liked humans, obviously, still, he knew, unfortunately, that they couldn't all be trusted. The wolf hunters who'd attacked him before, those kids at the orphanage who'd been cruel to him.

When he'd listened to Tsume and Blue sadly had a lot in common. Toboe wasn't going to pretend he'd experienced anything remotely as bad in the past. He was glad that they were talking about their trauma. Talking about it is the first step towards healing, Granny had said.

Tsume had said he wanted to talk to him later. Toboe's tail flickered back and forth, he smiled, like he always did but it was filled with more warmth. More excitement. Toboe said some stuff out of spite. He was sure they both had. So he was happy that Tsume actually wanted to talk to him. Humans were celebrating peace, they'd found Cheza, Blue and Tsume had come to some sort of agreement. Life was good.

Strange painful yelping noises made their way towards Toboe's ears. He stopped, pricked his ears up and listened.

Through the laughter and joviality of the festival.

He could hear the vibration of a sword, the scraping of metal. Hige howling out in pain.

Toboe winced. They were supposed to be in a safe place for once.

Tsume stopped and turned around.

" Hey, are you alright. We can't just stop here in the middle of the street."

Toboe growled. What unknown force was hurting his friend? He didn't have time to explain. He was running now and shouting.

" Follow me, we need to save Hige!"

* * *

 **Kiba-**

Just five minutes ago, everything had been normal. Well, maybe normal wasn't the right word to use, considering Kiba's normal was getting shot at by hunters or worse.

Kiba kept thinking things would go better if he just zoned out, tried to blend in with the festival scene. So that's what he'd been trying to do. This was a challenge for him. Most of his interactions with humans ended on a sour note. Looking over your shoulder to make sure no one was following you with a gun was exhausting.

With Cheza here, Kiba felt the need to be at least ten times more paranoid. He had to keep her safe. Cheza didn't know how cruel humans could be. She was pure and innocent which, could surely get you killed somehow. Even in supposed times of peace, there were people who knew only of violence and hate. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. When it had been Kiba by himself, things had been different. Even when he got himself into a violent scrape he knew he could get out of it. And if he couldn't then, it was only his life on the line. Maybe that's why he'd been trying to distance himself lately. The other wolves, to a certain point, looked up to him for guidance. Kiba hadn't ever wanted to be a pack leader. He 'd dreamed sometimes of having a pack. Being in a pack and leading a pack were two different things. And protecting Cheza now wasn't much different than he thought it would be. Not all songs and flowers. Dangerous and nerve-racking. Leaving a permanent scowl on Kiba's face that he had to try and get rid of.

" Everything is ok," he told himself. " She's fine. And I'll protect her."

Still, Cheza was looking at him with such expectant eyes. He sighed and smiled back. She was happy here the least he could do was try to be.

" Kiba! Look at those birds," Cheza spun around and pointed the birds.

" This one had read about those birds in books. Isn't nature beautiful?"

" Yes," Kiba replied. He didn't sound nearly as excited as she did. " It is…" Did he truly think that...? Kiba hadn't ever thought of nature as something that was beautiful. Then again, there were many things he hadn't thought about before Cheza had come into his life.

" Oh," Cheza's eyes widened. " You're beautiful too, Kiba. A lot better than the wolves this one has seen in books."

Kiba's cheeked warmed. He couldn't help but laugh. " Um, Thank you Cheza… I think you're beautiful too." He felt strange saying it.

Cheza nodded. " Thank you, Kiba. Did you know… there are pictures of those that are like this one in books…"

She pushed her skirt down as she walked. Her expression still flickered around the town as fast as fire catching on grass. For some reason, he didn't want to admit it but she was happy here.

" Illustrations are wonderful. Seeing something in person has it's own charms though.

" Kiba, have you ever-"

Suddenly Cheza doubled over in pain. Kiba rushed to her side.

.

"Cheza, what's wrong?" He stared into the crowd suspiciously. His fur automatically bristled.

" Who hurt you?" he growled.

Cheza took a few long deep breaths. She gripped the cobblestone street. She closed her eyes and muttered something Kiba couldn't quite make out. The people walking by without any regard to Cheza's plight bothered Kiba. He knew how insensitive humans could be. Some of them were lunched over from drinking too much or whatever strange drugs humans consumed.

Cheza was standing again. Her hands and mouth trembled. She chocked out words.

" Hige. He's hurt," Someone is… trying to kill him." She sniffled. H iter tears dripped onto the ground.

Kiba's jaw tightened. They were supposed to be safe… He should have known there was no safety among humans.

" Cheza." Kiba could practically feel the worry in his voice. Concern, rage, and duty intermingled in his heart. He pawed the ground for a moment, unsure of himself. But the next second him opened his mouth to speak. In a situation like this, there wasn't any room to hesitate.

" I-If… If I carry you Cheza could you lead me to him?" Kiba started to shake. The thought of Hige dying scared him but his fear of losing Cheza somehow was equally as worrisome. Still, he thought of how Hige had treated him when he first arrived in Freeze City. The carefree brown wolf had saved Kiba's life. Hige acted like it wasn't a big deal but Kiba knew now how grave his situation had been. He would have died… and then what? Kiba wouldn't even be here now to protect Cheza. If he could, he had to save Hige. Kiba, a rather unsociable quiet wolf, had to remind himself that, friends helped each other out even in the worst of times. Besides, if he didn't help that just made him as bad as the cruel humans who walked past them on the sidewalk.

So, Cheza's reply was music to his ears.

" Of course," she nodded. Slowly standing up while wiping her face. Her sad eyes wreaked havoc on Kiba's heart.

" We must find him at once."

He was running now, as fast as he could. She held on tight to his fur. Her weight was nothing compared to the weight, the nervousness Kiba felt in his heart.

* * *

 **Quent -**

" You're telling me," Quent flicked his cigarette ashes on to the road. " That you want to hire me as a mercenary."

" Yes," the scientist Cher answered.

Hubb stood next to her, a look of love that would probably disgust anyone else. Quent couldn't help but think of his wife. He would have traveled through the fires of hell to find her. That applied to all of his family. He understood what it meant to be in love. To love someone in the world more than breathing or whiskey. It didn't matter to him anymore. Blue was gone, which was coming the best. She could live a life murder free. Start a family of her own. It was better this way. Quent had to remind himself that. He'd made a vow to eradicate all wolves. Backing out now would be disrespectful to those who died. He couldn't see his wife, child or any of the other people in town that the wolves slaughtered. He could walk through hell and kill them all. For the people who had families who needed protecting and his family that was gone.

Killing took resources.

Resources took money.

" What is it, exactly… that you need me to do?"

Cher replied immediately. Her glasses glinted in the lantern light.

" There's a girl… that I need you to protect."

Hubb glared at Cher. She sighed.

" I don't have a lot of money now… but I can get you food and pay for safe lodgings in the meantime… Whatever you need.

Quent took a drag of his cigarette.

" Why can't you pay me now?"

Cher looked at the ground and bit her lip.

" It's counterfeit. "

" Then why should I believe you when you say you can pay me."

She let out a strangled puff of air. " You shouldn't… I need to protect Cheza and I'll do whatever it takes to protect her… I'm a fugitive, a liar and a thief but… if I can keep Cheza safe it'll all be worth it."

She crossed her arms. " If it wasn't for Hubb I wouldn't be telling you this."

She glared at Hubb and sighed, " but I think you'll help us."

Quent stared hard at the scientist. He hadn't expected her to say any of this. She stared back at him, a ferocious look in her eye that could topple mountains.

" Why do you think that?"

Cher uncrossed her arms and replied.

" Hubb told me you lost someone too and… I'm sure neither of us wants to lose anyone else."

" I'll… um… You have my word… I'll pay you back later."

She bit her lip again and cast her eyes downward.

Quent threw his cigarette on the ground. He stared at Hubb who still had that goofy love-struck look on his face. Then back to Cher who's face was covered with passion and dispersion.

Quent shoved his hands into his pockets.

He sighed. " I'll think about it…"

Cher nodded. " Thank you for listening."

* * *

_ **Darcia** –

When Darcia's horse nearly dropped dead from thirst and he stopped at an Outpost, all anyone could talk about was the peace Jaguara restored to the land. The festival she was holding. Reuniting with her sister. Darcia interrogated them. They hadn't known much about Jaguara's banquet. They hadn't known much about anything. Still, they offered him food and shelter. He jumped back on his horse toward Black City. A new energy surging through his veins.

Now Darcia riding atop his horse pushed people out the way as he went. The fools around him were so intoxicated by there own stupidity that they just meandered around in the street.

But Jaguara was the biggest fool of them all. Jaguara's Castle stood in the city center. His horse neighed loudly. Perhaps the animal sensed the malice in the air. Still, it'd let Darcia ride and he was filled with something akin to madness.

Darcia gripped tightly onto his sword. He anticipated hostility, resistance. He was met with none.

" Go right ahead, Lord Darcia." The man dipped his head in a deep bow. Darcia had to stop himself from stabbing. It was a struggle to divert his attention to his horse. He hitched it to a post outside, went through the door and up the stairs.

It seemed as they though saw each other at the same time. Darcia glared at her from across the room. Jaguara smiled back. She was covered in blood squatting down with her sword held close to her side. A gruesome sight. A demon with Harmona's face.

"Where is she," Darcia growled.

" Hello to you too, Darcia," Jaguara giggled.

Giggled like they were playing some sort of game. So he asked again.

" I'm so glad you finally made it." She curtsied, ignoring him. Put her sword back on her hip.

" I hoped you would come, what point would it be if you didn't? I kept saying if Darcia doesn't show up then it was all for nothing."

She stepped sideways, he flinched. She gestured to the fallen clump of fur

I've been killing them for a while… now it's worth it. All the suffering we've gone through has been for this.

The floor, everything was bloody.

Machines whirred to life.

"Where is Hamona?" Darcia asked again.

Jaguara yawned. " I did this all for you, Darcia. Soon a Paradise will be created and when it is I'll… have to destroy it.

Darcia kept yelling what he'd been yelling all along.

The machines still buzzed. Their vibrations getting inside his head.

" Jaguara…"He begun trying to stop himself from reaching out and strangling her. "Tell me where Hamona is or I'll make you tell me," he said in such a hushed voice that he didn't think she'd heard him at first. He put his hand in the hilt of his sword and grimaced.

" Always talking about her, even still…" Jaguara drew her sword, a wild look stirred in her eyes. " If she's all you'll talk about… then perhaps I'll have to make you scream about something else.

* * *

 **Jaguara -**

There was a wild look in Darcia's eye that Jaguara loved. He'd come to see her. Her heart raced. But that was a lie. He wasn't here to see her, not really. Her sister. Hamona. Even unconscious and dying she still attracted his attention. Why did he have to fall in love with Hamona? They had the same face, the same body. It couldn't be because of the physical. Personality? Perhaps? But why? Hamona was a sweet girl but that's all she was, a girl… She was kind, gentle but that wasn't what Darcia needed. He needed strength, power, influence. Jaguara knew she could give him that. If he'd only let her, she'd give him everything.

He took his eyes off of her, glanced around the room wildly. Looking for Hamona, of course.

Jaguara's sister was still laying in the tub, sleeping. Would she ever wake again? No. Darcia had done this to her. To both of them. Hamona should have fallen in love with someone else, they all should have. Jaguara still loved her sister though. She had enough love to give to both of them. This Jaguara reminded herself, what was best for everyone.

The brown wolf, Hige, was crumpled on the floor. If it's pack members followed it's footsteps, that was great. If not, oh well. Wolves were stupid beasts. Even if no others came. She'd killed enough to achieve her goals. Though, of course, if she could continue her killing spree, that would be fine too.

Darcia moved away, took a step backwards. She stepped forward, her speed impressing herself. Her sword slashed wildly through the air. The vibrations, the crackle of stone and wood, the squish of blood under her feet; it was all music to her ears. Driving him back, back, back. His look of worry grew. When would Darcia realize that he had to fight her? There was no running away, no peace until she could see the look of anguish on her face.

She lunged forward again and his eyes widened. He immediately noticed his mistake. Jaguara grinned, her sword cut into his flesh. Enough to wound but not enough to kill. She didn't want to kill him. Not yet.

" Let's let the fun continue," she whispered as she watched Darcia's blood drip onto the floor. Intermingling with the rest she'd collected. The machine hummed in satisfaction. So did Jaguara.

She looked at him, really looked this time. He was as handsome as ever. All the stress and anger etched on to made it even better. She could tell he was exhausted, dehydrated, weaker than usual. That's what happened when you made poor choices.

He really was mad at her now. Focusing on her. His rage, his passion in this moment were Jaguara's alone.

She slashed at him again, wide and full of energy. The energy, the love that she'd saved for him.

Darcia parried Jaguara's attack. Metal clanging rebervated inside the room. Jaguara dug her feet into the blood-soaked ground. His strength overpowered her. She purposely let it. He shifted his stance and, in a surprisingly fluid motion, tried to stab her in the shoulder. Instinctively ducking, Jaguara aimed at his right leg. No running away from her this time.

Up close Jaguara could see him wince, curse under his breath. Perhaps he thought he hadn't been talking aloud. Thinking in his mind. He'd always been a polite person, not one to swear aloud. Jaguara was honored to be the one who'd changed that.

More blood dripped onto her floor. More. More. More. Flood the whole mansion in a sea of blood.

He nicked her in the shoulder. Muttering something, now. Panting a bit.

" What is it, dear," Jaguara asked. She hoped he was begging. He didn't answer her though. Just grimaced and held his sword at his side.

Her attention drifted. Wolves howling. Coming to their friend. Everything was falling into place. Her plan would come to fruition soon.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolfs Rain fanfiction! Please support the original authors!_

 _Well, things are really heating up! It's taken a while but now I ( hopefully ) know exactly where things are going. I liked writing from_ Jaguara and Darcia's POVs. They are very intense people, to say the least.

 _Happy Veterans Day!_

 _Comments, questions, follows, and likes are heavily appreciated!_


	34. Chapter 34 - Bloody Fight

**Chapter 34 Bloody Fight -**

 **Kiba -**

Since all Kiba had to go by were Cheza's and his vague senses, he was nervous. Something was going wrong, that was for sure. Hige was hurt in some way. was good enough for him.

Soon, they reached the place that Cheza wanted Kiba to go.

Kiba put Cheza down on the ground. They were both out of breath. He thought it was a little strange that she seemed so tired. He saw her clutching her side, sweating. He realized that she was in pain. He stared at her. Opened his mouth to speak. Cheza reached out and put her hand over his mouth. She smiled but it didn't hide the pain in her eyes.

" Just… go help him, please. This one knows… you can... Kiba."

Kiba nodded. He turned and ran towards the building. He burst through a window He wasn't optimistic enough to think that Hige was just sitting there waiting for him. A couple of noble guards were standing around obliviously. He broke through the glass, landed roughly on his paws.

Kiba didn't hesitate. There wasn't any time to lose. He sprang up and sunk his teeth into one of the nobles faces.

Just as quickly, he Jumped back. Some of the humans were shouting now. Kiba spat blood on the ground. Fur bristling. About twelve humans in packed little room.

Glass shards cut into Kiba's side from the window jump. He growled. Wherever Hige was, this wasn't the place. He had to get out of there fast.

But Kiba had instigated the fight. And by the nobles sudden and angry attacks he'd have to finish it.

Kiba's body felt lighter. Perhaps it was Cheza's encouragement but these Nobles didn't stand a chance.

The nobles swords vibrated the ground and air around them. One of them swung their sword before Kiba could react. He slammed into a wall.

Blood spilled out of Kiba's mouth. Smeared off the side of his flank onto dripped from Kiba's side. He winced. Not the best idea to take the attack head-on. He sputtered. These humans weren't like the others that Jaguara had employed off the street. These were stronger, with better weapons and armor. Kiba must have only managed to catch them off guard but they hadn't given an inch after that. Still, he was confident in his abilities.

Kiba leapt off the ground, growling. Jumping and snapping at one of the nobles wrists. Staying in there blind spots was important here. Yet, he couldn't do that for everyone. He was punched, kicked, slashed at all at the same time. He was knocked into a wall but he changed his trajectory; landed on his paws and sprang off the surface.

Four of the nobles were slumped over on the floor.

Kiba grit his teeth. His pain was starting to catch up with him.

Suddenly, a flash of grey and a flash of black came into his vision.

Tsume ripped someone's throat out. Blood pooled on the ground.

Tsume landed by Kiba's side. He spat out some blood onto the ground.

"You know where Hige is," he asked. The nonchalance in his voice wasn't shocking at all.

" Toboe said he was going after him but I don't think he knows where Porky is either."

Meanwhile, Blue was throwing one of her knives into one of Noble's eyes. Kiba took a second. Breathed.

Between, Blue's knives, Tsume's claws and Kiba's fangs, they could easily take of things.

The nobles armor was thick but, after fighting Nobles for a long time, Kiba knew where their weak points were. His ears flattened. Clunky footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Reinforcements," Kiba muttered.

* * *

 **Darcia -**

How long could he keep doing this? He panted, out of breath. All the fighting was starting to take its toll on his body. Jaguara had moved once again, already slashing and seemingly enjoying herself. Repulsive. The sword fight had moved them from room to room. She didn't show any signs of tiring, and he didn't have the time to be tired. What was important was that he kill her, as soon as possible. He was done with this.

She was saying something. Something about how much she loved him. How much she wanted him. A bunch of nonsense, really.

She parried his attacks and they kept moving until they back into the room where Harmonica was. The keep was in terrible condition. Bloody moss covered the ground, little flowers everywhere. Tubes with various fluids coiled around the place were she left. He was certain that she was alive. Or at least he hoped she was.

He nearly dropped his sword. He had to take a deep breath. The air smelled like blood and flowers. Stared at her, laying down in the pool. Peaceful. But she was here with Jaguara; that toxic harpy. He had to kill her.

Jaguara stepped forward, stabbed him in the shoulder. She muttered something, started to laugh maniacally. He winced, started to yell, or maybe he was already screaming. He slashed her, but she was already moving out of the way. He didn't want to admit it really, but she was confident with a sword. A loud popping noise shocked his eardrums. Screaming.

But it wasn't his screaming or Jaguara's screaming. The Flower Maiden's; Cheza's. An explosion and then, somehow, fire. It was hot, burning, suffocating. The smell of scorched earth and baked blood wasn't at all pleasant. The blood that spilled out of his shoulder was warm and wet. Still, Darcia ignored his pain and ran over to Harmonica. He pulled her close and started to run. He needed to her out of there, most importantly. He felt out of his mind, how was any of this happening?

Jaguara faded into the flames. He could see two bodies moving. They had to be wolves.

The world around him felt hazy. He was starting to have trouble breathing. Would this be how he died? No, Darcia wasn't sure why this was happening. The building, Jaguara's Keep. Burning away like his soul that felt like it was being sucked out of his body. He kept running, screamed some more. Screams that would soon die in the flames. He hoped Jaguara would die too but he knew that would be too good to be true.

He struggled out of the wreckage holding onto Harmonica, pushing past the fire and pain.

Darcia scrambled out of the keep, panting and probably looking like a deranged lunatic. That didn't matter.

He could hear people screaming now. But he ripped the rope off his post and grabbed onto his horse anyway, ignoring them. His horse angrily murmured, in protest. Somehow even the animal knew something was dreadfully wrong.

He rode off, towards his keep. People were still screaming. The ringing in his ears, the burning in his chest, it wouldn't stop.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading this chapter of my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the orginal authors._

 _It's a little short this time. The crazy combo of Thanksgiving/ work/ school got the best of me lol. But I made it somehow... Everyone's suffering continues but at least everyone's suffering together?_

 _Comments, likes, shares and follows are all welcome!_


	35. Wolf's Rain Chapter 35 - Explosion

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 35 - Explosion -**

 **\- Toboe -**

Toboe asked himself time and time again what he was the best at doing. Healing was his strong suit but by the same token, so was running away. His pack members had entrusted that task to him. Run away.

" Get Hige the hell out of there," Tsume had said.

Toboe felt terrible leaving his friends to fight on their own. But he knew he'd just be dead weight if he decided to fight with them. And, if it came to it, he could defend himself. He hoped. His fangs throbbed angrily in his mouth. Despite everything, he was a wolf.

Two humans were fighting with swords. The metal clanged and crashed against metal. Strange mechines buzzed and blinked. Toboe was shaking, he was scared iut of his mind. He tried to push the fear down as far as it would go.

Suddenly, an explosion set Toboe's view on fire. He winced, the burning flames singeing his fur. Cheza's screams had set the world on fire. Despite her usual melodious voice, this cry made his ears bleed.

But Toboe ignored that, he had to. Hige was waiting for him.

Toboe found the brown wolf passed out by a wall. Toboe gulped. He didn't have time check and see if Hige was alive. He just had to hope he was alright. He had to be alive, Toboe repeated in his kind, optimistically. Drowned out all the sad and morbid thoughts out with hope.

The second Toboe got out of the building he smiled a nervous smile. If I just keep going, everything will be fine.

The second he stopped, pain beaded through his back. Toboe closed his eyes. He was sure he was going to die. A snarling sound and a thud. Toboe was surprised he could hear anything at this point.

Tsume was standing in front of him, his knives drawn and his teeth bared.

" I swear, kid," Tsume said out of breath. " Sometimes I think you're tying to get killed."

Toboe wobbled upward to his paws. He coughed blood on the ground.

" Thank you, Tsume." And despite the pain in his body and then urge to throw up on the ground. His tail was wagging.

For a second, Toboe thought Tsume was smiling. He smiled back.

Some humans were screaming. One of there buildings had just exploded in the middle of their festival. Of course they were upset.

How many minutes could they linger in the town square before they we're found and murdered.

Blue came running and shortly after then we're Kiba and Cheza

Tsume walked closer to Toboe and grabbed onto Hige.

" We're going, now."

The grey wolf looked like he was about to go on some sort of murder rampage. But, judging by the amount of human corpses left behind, he already had.

" We can't move too fast," Toboe protested. " I don't think he can make it that much farther… without treatment."

They walked quickly away from the bloodied battlefield. Cheza struggled to match their pace. Kiba kept glancing at her to make sure she was alright.

" Should I try and get Cher to help us," Cheza asked quietly.

Kiba shook his head. " I don't think that's a good idea, Cheza."

The Flower Maidens frown grew.

Kiba sighed. He looked a lot less self assured then he did now.

" There's a sewer grate there," he sounded spacy.

" We should hide out here until things calm down."

"Then we should probably stay down here for the rest of our lives," Tsume grumbled.

The grey wolf set Hige down and tried to pry the man hole out of the ground. It gave way easily. He looked down into it and muttered

" I guess it's better then hiding out on the street."

Slowly, reluctantly almost, the group made there descent.

Toboe laughed nervously. " Don't you wish he'd wake up and start complaining about the smell."

" Yes," Blue replied gravely.

It did smell horrible in the sewers, as expected. The smell reminded him of the first time they'd run away from Nobles together.

Toboe walked over and carefully checked Hige's pulse.

" Please be alive," he whispered.

" He's still breathing," Toboe said shakily. He shook his head. " I won't let him die."

" He has to live," Cheza muttered. She walked closer to Kiba, Tsume and Toboe, staring at Hige. She stared at him, desperation showing in her eyes. Like she didn't know if she could will someone to live but she'd try with all her might.

Hige lay on the floor a bloodied mess.

Eventually, Cheza stopped crying and sat down next to Hige. She touched his back and started to sing. The blood seeped onto her hand.

The wolves were soothed by the song. Toboe blinked to snap himself out of the trance. His heart was racing but he had to be somewhat alert to dress Hige's wounds.

* * *

_ **Blue** _

It was almost funny. Not the type of funny that you laugh about but the type that was a constant in Blue's life. Irony. She thought bitterly that God must be somewhere laughing at her.

A year ago, she would have been thrilled. A wolf was almost dead and she hadn't even had to do anything. Yet, when Blue looked at Hige's dying body, when she watched Toboe scrambling around trying to stop the bleeding, watched Cheza's pleading eyes, or Tsume's and Kiba's anger; all she could think was that she hoped Hige would live.

It was strange. Pops would be so disappointed. But to every rule there was an exception and perhaps, Hige was that exception. He'd saved Blues skin far more times then she'd like to remember. Hige, a wolf with hardly any fighting power. A seemingly kind and caring soul.

Blue felt nothing but guilt and sadness. She'd wished his death. She'd wished for all of their deaths, even her own. Now it seemed that her wish would come true sooner or later.

What a terrible time for a wish to come true.

Blue shook her head. She had to focus on something else. Not Cheza's singing with it's hypnotic effect or the sadness of the others that only made her feel worse about herself.

Blue kept away from the others. She felt like an outsider. Which was probably because she was an outsider. Everyone was barely holding it together, trying to cling on to any hope of hope they could. Blue was part of the reason there hopes were so dashed.

She gritted her teeth. Hige had to live. She had to apologize, thank him, say something for all the times he'd helped her. It seemed silly, counterproductive even, for her to wish good health for a wolf but she did anyway.

Cheza face was wet with tears. She clutched onto Hige's fur and sang another one of her songs. Blue knew there was a lot wrong in the world but when she listened to Cheza's song, really listened, she truly felt at ease.

* * *

\- **Tsume** -

Tsume stood up suddenly. The sorrow in the air was palpable even with Cheza's soothing song. He didn't have time to be soothed. If Toboe hadn't just been overly optimistic about saving Hige then then they needed to act fast. Even if it was just a hope or a dream Tsume had to try. He pawed the ground anxiously. He couldn't stay here.

" I'm going to get some medical supplies," Tsume said quietly. It wasn't like him to announce where he was going.

" I'll be back soon."

" Wait," Toboe yelled. " I'll come with you."

Tsume sighed. He wanted him to but, after everything that'd happened, was it really right? After all the things that they'd said to each other… And it certainly wasn't safe. Tsume couldn't handle anyone else getting injured right now. Kiba was hiding it but he was hurt too. As much as he still doubted her, Blue must have been hurt as well.

Toboe marched right beside him and stared intensity. " If anything happens I'll run away… but we shouldn't be by ourselves. Who knows what else is out there.

He wanted to apologize, to say thank you, to smile or say anything really. Instead, Tsume sighed and muttered

" Fine."

* * *

 _Thanks for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Feedback is always appreciated! (:_

There is just so much saddness and angst right now. Like geez, sorry everyone. I guess I feel especially bad because I started this arc and everyone was happy eating donuts and stuff and now they're back in the sewers bleeding again.


	36. Wolfs Rain Chapter 36 - Smell of Death

**-Hige** -

Hige's body was heavy. It ached in places he didn't know existed. There was a scorched taste on his tongue. His eye lids were heavy. He couldn't open them.

This had to be a nightmare. Hige was sure that he wouldn't wake up. Not really. The clang of swords and the smell of charred flesh filled his nostrils. Jaguara must have killed him. He had to be dead. Hige hoped he'd make it to Paradise. Perhaps hell was just as fitting. After all, who knew what terrible things he'd done in his past. He'd go to hell or, worse yet, his soul would be trapped in this room forever.

But Hige could hear someone getting closer to him and somehow he was safe. Time passed and he still couldn't wake up. Things changed for the better. Toboe's herbs covered his wounds. Cheza's song put him at peace. Hige didn't want to die but if he had to, he thought it was better to die here.

The next thing Hige knew, he was opening his eyes. He wasn't groggy now. Whatever this place was it felt real. A wetness seeped into his paws that wasn't blood.

He hadn't a clue where he was. It was a strange land, different from anything else he'd seen. Damp green grass grew up a steep mountain side. Everything else was foggy. Could this be Paradise? If so, were was the rest of his pack? Where was Cheza? If it wasn't for the fact of the excruciating pain in his side, he'd be sure none of this was real. That was were Jaguara stabbed him, wasn't it?

Jaguara. He could still remember all of it, it had been awful.

Hige searched for his friends in the fog but all he could see were the faces of scared brown wolves that looked vaguely like him.

Someone's voice rung in his ears. Someone that he thought hs recognized from somewhere but could not quite place their voice.

" Run," they shouted.

Hige was running. Wolves around him, a sea of panicked brown. Gunshots, smoke, fire. His chest was heavy, suddenly. His head was going to crack open from pain. It was like he was trudging through a sea of mud.

It happened, to fast for Hige to stop it and too slowly for him not to agonize over it. A gun shot flew through the wolf running next to him. No one stopped or slowed to mourn him. Hige blinked away tears for someone he still couldn't remember.

" If we can make it into the mountains, we can lose them," one of the other wolves howled. Other wolves howled back in agreement. Sadly though, like they didn't expect to live another second.

The wolf next to him was whimpering something about giving up. Everyone was damp and cold and miserable, surely it was better to just do so

Hige turned towards the orgin of the noise. He had ti get back to his pack.

Blood splattered on his face. The wolf dropped to the side, gasping. Another death no one had time to mourn

The cleaning had a distinct smell, it smelled like death.

Hige turned now and stopped. Wind blew in their faces, taking the fog with it.

Nobles.

The nobles slowed their horses. Using guns and swords and horses was an unfair horrible tactic. Hige supposed they didn't have any reason to care. They were killers. Winners. He'd die and they'd go about their lives without a care in the world. Hige wished he could do something like that. He wished he could live. It was only now that he really realized why so many of his kind hated humans.

If they were going to kill this pack of wolves… if they were going to kill Hige… then his pack then he could only hope to die a quick painless death.

Now he stood there against the cliffside shaking. It started to rain but that didn't mask the wretched bloody scent in the air. Hige thought himself a coward now, and what good were cowards if they couldn't run away. It was to late to fight, not that be would anyway. He knew that he'd only lose. He'd die no matter what happened.

He took a deep breath. Hoped for better in his next life.

One of the nobles got off their horse. Smiled behind a strange gaudy mask. Hige had a feeling that he recognized them even though their face was covered. His mind had to be playing tricks on him.

One of the wolves besides him tried to limp towards the mountains. They shot him. All the wolves who could put up a serious fight were dead.

Everyone around him was dead. The blood smell in the air thickened.

Hige waited for his death. The noble off their horse took of their mask. He waited for the woman to kill him. He stared at her, she smirked at him like she knew something he didn't know. It was Jaguara.

Hige's eyes widened. It was Jaguara. This was his old pack. His old friends These were his memories. He growled, wanting desperately to kill her. This nightmare had to end.

Despite his efforts Hige couldn't move.

He closed his eyes, involuntary. Memories flooded in. Just a few weeks ago his pack had been running around through the flowers and hunting together like nothing could go wrong. This had happened before and Jaguara would make sure it happened again.

The woman's footsteps drew closer. She held him by the scruff of his neck. Her smirk grew into that of a feral unhuman monster.

" Good job, pet," she cooed. " I couldn't have tracked them down with out you."

The weight of his collar was horrid. Hige shouted but she only laughed.

She'd been tracking him to keep an eye on his pack.

She reached down and touched him. He wished she would have just killed him with everyone else.

Instead, her eyes twinkled.

" Let's do this again soon, pet,"

Then the world went dark. It lit up again. Again and again. Sequences of his pack being killed, over and over again. Hige the only survivor. Hige was the only one left. Hige was a traitor.

The blonde woman, Jaguara, this was all her fault.

Hige was running. He snapped her neck, blood poured on his face. The lives of all his pack mates from the past echoed in his mind. They hated him, surely but they must have hated her even more.

He saw the blonde woman drop to the ground. Then he did too. At this point, Hige wasn't sure what was reality and what was illusion.

Hige's eyes opened wide. He was in a foul smelling place. He winced at his pain. Somehow, he was definitely alive. Maybe it wasn't his wounds and blood that hurt him but his returning memories.

There was some weird moss herb mix on his flank. He stood up and shook it off.

Cheza yelled happily. " Hige is awake. " Her eyes were all wide and red. She'd been crying. The other wolves looked like they were at deaths door too. What had gone on since Hige had passed out.

He was happy, to see all of them again. Or at least he wanted to be. Right now all that Hige felt was shame and anger. More then anything, he was a traitor. Jaguar's spy. Who knew how many lives he'd managed to ruin. Now that his memories were back Hige could think back and know himself. Rage and bloodlust coursed through him and gave him an ungodly energy.

He started to run. Right now, he didn't want to be around them. More then anything, Hige had to do what he'd done in his vision. He had to kill Jagurua.

Hige ran and ran through the droves of hysterical screaming people. Panic. Panic that reminded him of his fallen wolf packs. He cringed and kept running. A particular smell caught in his nostrils. He wouldn't let Jaguara get away again.

She was riding her horse. Her long blonde hair trailing behind her. Her hair and clothes were dirtied now. Muddy and bloody. Hige growled. He wanted her blood spilled. Hige knew he couldn't catch her at the rate he was running. He was tired, slobber pulled in his throat. He wanted nothing more then to sit down and rest but that was the easy way out and wasn't that always the way he did things? This time would be different. He could feel his wounds opening back up.

Something smashed into him. A black blur. Knocked the wind right out of him.

His heart pounded in his chest. He wouldn't die here. Not after everything that'd happened.

" What is wrong with you?" Blue asked. Her chest fell and rose as Hige's did but she looked more ticked off then tired.

Normally, Hige was sure he'd say something like, " I'm glad you're chasing after me and not trying to kill me." He'd laugh and it would all be ok. But nothing was ok anymore. He had to kill Jaguara.

"I'm," he gasped. " I'm… going after her."

Blue shook her head.

Jaguara's horse's heels skidded in the mud. She stopped yards away from a man clinging to her sister.

"No you aren't."

"She's the one… who took my memories. I hurt so many people and it's…her fault. It's my fault to…. but...I...I have to… I have to do this."

Blue stared at him hard. She gulped. Shook her head. Slumped her shoulders. Still, through the anger on his face, Hige knew she understood him. He could remember, that she told him she was going to kill all the wolves. They'd both felt so hurt, he was sure. Was getting revenge worth his life? Was it worth killing over.

Yes.

It was.

Hige stood up. Stared into Blue's eyes.

" I've got to do this," he said.

" I know you do."

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolfs Rain Fanfiction! Please support the orginal authors._

 _Well things might be a little weird because I decided to change things up at the last minute... So sorry about that. But I'm happy with how things are turning out. After all that wanting to know about his past, Hige feels awful. At first I kind of wanted things to mirror the anime but things are kind of veering off to the side lol._

 _Comments and likes and all of that are very much appreciated!_

 _Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year everyone!_


	37. Wolf's Rain Chapter 37:Paradise Sickness

**Wolf's Rain - Chapter 37: Paradise Sickness**

 **Cheza –**

Cheza trembled in the field of bloodshed and violence.

How many months had gone by? How many years before Cheza finally figured out what had to be done. Lives ruined, blood spilled that she should have been able to do all along. Why couldn't she be a proper Flower Maiden?

She clutched the warm fabric of her hood. It was cold out here. She wanted to lay down and go to sleep. All the blood made her want to gag.

Cheza took a step forward and then another. No one had hurt her and yet her whole body ached in pain.

" The others are in pain," she muttered to herself dimly.

She could barely register the people screaming around her. The loud thud of horses hooves coming from behind the hills. More nobles were coming.

Cheza took and deep breath and expelled it. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry out in pain and then curl up on the ground. Sink into the marsh. There wasn't any time for that. There wasn't time for anything anymore.

She took a few steps forward. Towards the marsh that the humans and wolves had turned into there battlefield.

" This has to end. This one has to end it."

Kiba was engaged in a fight with one of the vibrating sword nobles.

Cheza tensed as she moved by. Her stride quickened and before she knew it she was running.

She prayed for his safety. For Hige's and Blues safety as they fought Lady Jaguara. As well as Tsume who used his blades to fight. For her own. What she was about to do might very well get her killed.

Cheza didn't understand why this had to happen. Fighting and war. She'd learned about it when she used to live in the Palace. Though looking back she knows now that they only taught her the bare minimum. As much as Cheza didn't like to admit it, the real world was far worse then it seemed in books. Now that she'd learned how horrible the world was, she had to stop it.

Cheza watched Darcia struggling to move away and Hamona at his side. She moved towards the two of them. She shouted his name. He didn't stop. So she kept chasing after him.

Eventually, she caught up with the two of them. Even while yelling for him to turn in her direction, her voice wasn't as loud as she wanted it to be. He was facing her but his eyes looked distant like he was on a separate plane of reality.

Without warning, with frightening speed, Darcia lunged in Cheza's direction with a frightening speed he pointed it at her neck.

The edge of the sword nicked her. She yelped in pain. Blood dripped from her neck. Her body shivered.

But she held her ground and looked him in the eye. A part of her thought she was imaging it but something about him looked almost wolf like. Then again, that wasn't any stranger than the other things she'd seen.

He muttered something under his breath. Even at his low volume, she could hear the hatred in his voice. His blade shaking in his hand.

" You're here now… With you're wolves. Why couldn't you have come sooner? Why can't you just find Paradise? Why can't you just heal her?"

Cheza, unfortunately, didn't have the answers to any of those questions.

His eyes were red and watery. So were hers. Something about him looked broken and Cheza couldn't stand it. She had to help him and Harmona if she could.

She wasn't even sure if Harmona was alive of not. She could only hope.

" This one is so sorry," Cheza sobbed. She said that over and over again. It's all she felt that she could say. Cheza didn't want to lie but, she wasn't sure if she could save anyone with her power at first. She'd found the wolves, shouldn't she have been able to at least open Paradise up for them by now?

Instead, she'd just made everyone's lives miserable. At the very least, she hadn't done anything to make there lives better. She was just being a burden.

Cheza started to cry. Her cry turned into a song.

She wasn't sure if what she was seeing was real or not. Suddenly, all Cheza could see were white flowers. All she could hear was her own song. It reverberated through the earth. She could only hope that it reached Harmona's ears. That it quelled the fighting for good.

The valley had been cold, muddy and covered in blood. Things had died here. Things had been killed. Blood had been spilled. More blood would be spilled. More death. More illness. It had to be stopped.

It was raining. Raining flowers. They were everywhere. White flowers floated downwards from the sky as of they'd broken off from the moon. Lunar flowers.

The humans and wolves in the valley were silent, unmoving. The spectacle that was unfolding before them was beyond words. Cheza's song soothed wounds, displeased hurt. It was beyond words. Still, the moon shone red.

Cheza could feel the earth beneath her. She could feel the moon above her, shining its cool rays onto her head. She didn't know what she was doing but whatever it was seemed to be working. Her hands were softly pressed to Hamona's throat. Cheza was kneeled down on the ground, as close to Harmona as she could be.

"This curse that has plagued your clan for centuries. This one knows it can be broken," Cheza thought optimistically.

Suddenly, the sickly blonde haired fell backward. She went cold.

Cheza froze, what had she done.

" No," she sobbed. " Lord Darcia- this one doesn't know why this has happened!"

Darcia's sword glinted in the Moonlight. The flowers weitherd on the ground beside them. She expected her death to come. He definitely had the strength to kill her. His expression was full of rage. It terrified her. But she didn't step back. This was still her fault. The things that she was supposed to stop, she'd failed.

A white flash, a growl. Blood poured onto the ground. On to Cheza's face. Her throat was raw and yet she screamed. She shook. But that didn't change the fact that Darcia had fallen down beside her. Dead. It was strange, Harmona almost looked peaceful beside him Darcia was dead. It'd been so sudden, so abrupt and yet, she told herself that he looked at peace as well.

Tears ran down Cheza's face. She opened her mouth to say something, though she wasn't sure what she'd meant to say besides more screaming.

It was awful.

Someone jerked her forward. It was Blue. She looked terrified.

" We have to go, now, before he gets here," Blue shouted.

" He's coming to kill us."

This was awful.

* * *

 **Hubb**

All around Hubb were terrified people trying to stay alive.

Fire blazed rapidly throughout Black City. Its citizens scrambled around trying to put the fires out. The air was suffocating. Hubb sucked in a breath slowly. He still couldn't believe what he was saying really. It'd all happened so suddenly. The explosions. They'd gotten caught up in one of the blasts. Hubb had lost his jacket. Part of Quent's pant leg burned off. Cher's once white lab coat was charded and a dull shade of brown. Hubb was terrified that while they were running another explosion would go off from someone and kill all of them.

Was it just the soot making his nose itch or were there dogs near by?

Cher coughed and then said to no one in particular.

" We can't stay here. " And if Cheza's here… she might be hurt." Hubb could tell she was trying to keep emotion out of her voice. She was worried about Cheza. He was worrying about Cher. Who knew what the people in this city were capable of. He drew his gun, as a precaution.

"There are wolves here," Quent replied after some time. He'd taken his gun off the holster on his back. Hubb stared at the older man's arm. It was all but healed. Still, Hubb was worried about him. All the injures he got from hunting wolves, yet he still continued. Not that Hubb had any room to judge. If he hadn't found Cher he'd still be searching for her.

My allergies are acting up," He confirmed. Quent was a wolf tracker. He would know where they were. But was now really the appropriate time to be searching for wolves when they were running for their lives?

" Cheza had to be wherever the wolves," Cher said.

Not that Hubb particularly cared about the wolves. But he still felt the need to whisper to Cher, " you know he's going to kill them right?"

Cher shook her head. She had a look in her eye that told you her mind was made up. " It doesn't matter… As long as I find her, then it's ok."

Sword vibrations. Thankfully, the nobles weren't the best swordsman.

They turned around. Hubb stood in front of her, instinctively. But Cher upholstered her gun too.

Quent turned around and sighed. Like he couldn't really be bothered by any of this.

He glared at one of the nobles.

" You can't leave the town. Not now."

They weren't making any moves to put the fires out or to help any of the civilians. They didn't seem the least bit concerned about the fire or the distress of the people they were supposed to protect.

"Did they just expect us to die here?" Hubb thought fearfully. But he had to stay calm. Freaking out and jumping to conclusions wasn't going to benefit anyone.

The nobles he'd met were somewhat eccentric but they weren't murderers. They weren't killers. At least he thought they weren't. No one was being attacked. Looking in the opposite direction from where he'd been running, all around them really were citizens putting out fires. Rescuing their loved ones and trying not to let everything dear to them burst into flames.

Hubb watched this for a little while longer, in horror. How did all these explosions happen? Why?

" Why can't we leave?" Cher yelled, her patience's and tact burned away. " I am not staying here. She took a step forward, her gun gripped in her hand.

Hubb didn't like this at all.

Finally, one of the soldiers spoke for themselves. " Lady Jaguara wouldn't like it."

Hubb shifted next to Cher again. The Noble held his sword restlessly at his side. Hubb frowned. He really didn't want to kill anyone. But he didn't want to get killed and he especially didn't want Cher to die. Something clicked or at least, he assumed. Jaguara wanted this to happen. Those explosions were planned. The nobles had expected it. This all probably had something to do with Paradise. Everything else did. But now wasn't the time to jump to conclusions.

" Let's all just calm down everyone," Hubb suggested. Though he didn't let down his guard.

At nearly the same time, Quent grumbled.

" I don't give a rats ass what Lady Jaguara wants. If you don't let us go, I will kill you."

He watched the group of nobles faces deteriorate into ones of bitter anger.

" No lets-" Hubb tried to reason again. But before he could finish, one of the nobles taped the edge of their fingers over their sword. The ground shook beneath them. That first time must have been only a warning.

At nearly the same time, Cher shot a bullet at him. She missed.

Unfazed, Quent shot too. The older man's rifle blared in Hubb's ears. Blood poured on to the streets, seeped into the ground. So sudden and murderous that it frightened him. But he wasn't going to die. People were screaming more than usual around them.

Two nobles hit the pavement. More were coming. Bullets were flying. Eventually, we're going to run out, Hubb thought.

No, he'd said it out loud.

" It's fine," Cher whispered. We'll kill them all first." Her tone was a matter a fact. She wasn't as good a shot as Quent or Hubb. Still, like everything she did, she shot quickly and precisely.

It's not fine, Cher, he thought angrily.

"It's also fine because... If we run out of bullets he won't be able to kill them."

Deep down he knew she cared. Actually, that was wrong too. Hubb knew that all Cher actually cared about was Cheza. But that was fine.

* * *

 _Hello everyone and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the original authors. So I guess that with this... the whole Darcia arc comes to a close. I'd planned things out way differently but I think this is what had to happen, sad as it may be. When I first watched Wolf's Rain I wasn't a huge fan of Darcia. But after writing this I can at least say I feel sorry for him._

 _Comments, likes and follows are very much appreciated! See you guys next time!_


	38. Wolfs Rain Chapter 38: Recovery

**Chapter 38: Recovery**

 **-Blue**

The next few minutes were a blur in Blue's mind.

She could vaguely remember saying they needed to leave the field.

" It's not the nobles we need to be worried about," Blue had said. She kept looking back. " He'll be here soon."

No one bothered to ask who he was, thankfully.

Surely, they were distracted. Too tired, too wrapped up in thoughts of death and blood. So was she.

Even if Pops most likely wasn't chasing after them, it wasn't a good idea to stay in the area. All around them were dead and dying humans. Nobles who surely now must have wanted them dead. Blue felt a naseuating feeling sweep over her. Blood, fire and smoke filled her head in such a way that it was a wonder she didn't fall over screaming and crying. She couldn't help but think of her old town whose citizens had been killed by wolves.

Blue knew that if she didn't keep walking, she'd be killed.

Kiba walked in the front of the group with a serious expression on his face. Cheza's face was twisted with anger and stained with tears. In a way, Blue wanted to believe that she wanted to be near Cheza. That they pull she felt towards the Flowers Maiden was so form of wolf instinct and sympathy. It seemed more and more likely with each passing step that it wasn't anything. Despite the suffering of others at her expense, Blue wanted to live. After all the terrible things that she'd lived through, she didn't want her life tto be wasted.

The pack trudged forward. The road became uneven and rocky. Blue didn't dare to look back at Black City. Even still, she could hear blood curdling screams. She could smell charred flesh and fresh soot just as vividly as if she was standing right in the middle of the town square. Whether it was the middle of her ruined home town or of Black City, she wasn't sure. But she knew there would be a point when she couldn't stop the nightmares from coming, when she couldn't outrun her fears anymore.

The pack of wolves looked tired and forlorn. They'd managed to get away for now. But Blue knew that if Pops had followed them this far, it couldn't be a coincidence. He'd catch up to them and eventually... Things would end. How they would end, Blue realized, was just as much up to her as it was anyone else.

Her thoughts still scared her. Maybe it was for the best. They couldn't run forever. She'd have to get proactive at some point. Right now though, all Blue wanted to do was curl up into a ball and sleep.

Everyone walked noticeably slower. Cheza insisted she didn't need Kiba to carry her. Try as he might, he looked a little hurt. Tsume carried Hige who was rendered unconscious during the fight. Toboe trailed along reluctantly like he thought the path they were taking was a mistake. It was.

Tsume looked like the only one not to be in any visible pain. Knowing what she knew about him, he was hiding it. She was hiding it too. She was so good at it that by now, she could almost convince herself she wasn't in pain.

Her staying with the other wolves was a risk. She should just leave now and. And what? Pops would find them whether she was there or not. She could run away from the group. Escape on her own. Or she could lead Pops away from the other wolves purposely. She could stay and fight.

As much as she tried to weigh the options, nothing really made sense. Her thoughts swirled around her angrily.

I want to be with them. I don't want them to get hurt. They aren't as terrible as the stories make them out to be. I still haven't said thank you to Hige… Now I might not get the chance...

But I miss Pops. And I'd grown to like Cher.

What of her mother and brothers? Surely they'd be ashamed of her. All the wolves that she'd killed... Had it been for nothing?

" Blue," someone said softly.

Several minutes passed.

" Blue," they repeated.

It was Toboe. He was sitting beside her. His eyes were wide with concern. Blue was sitting too. She must have blanked out.

So much for pretending everything was ok.

Toboe spoke again. " Are you ok?"

" I'm fine," Blue replied in an unconvincing voice. " Thank you," she added quietly.

Blue sighed and stood up. Did anyone even know where they were going? This was alright. They were near a range of mountains. It'll be harder to track us from there, and then what? How long could she keep running?

" I'm fine," she thought to herself. " I'm still alive."

Toboe looked off into the distance, towards the strangely jagged cliffs that loomed in front of them.

Pops would know how to get through here, even while injured, Blue thought grimly.

She wasn't sure that in their condition, they would all make it out alive. What was worse? Impalement on sharp rocks or a bullet to the brain?

" No, you're not," Toboe shouted. None of us are…" Any of you.. You won't say anything! I know what happened was bad out there but... We need to talk to each other. We need to heal our wounds and… we need to find Paradise."

Tsume frowned, looking as of he wanted to bicker.

" We aren't saying anything because there's nothing to say. What happened out there was awful. We killed a bunch of nobles. But we left a bunch of then alive… they'll get better and come back to kill us. We basically showed the world wolves really do exist and that they are monsters just like everyone thought."

Toboe grimaced as if he'd been physically hit.

Hige's voice was so quiet that you could barely hear it. " You should leave me behind. I'm not-"

In mid sentence, he closed his eyes and was silent. A pain stricken look washed over his face.

He was breathing still but it was harsh and rough. Blue stared at him and sighed. He must suffer from nightmares too. She prayed, though she wasn't entirely sure what good that would do, that Hige would be alright. While she was at it, Blue prayed that they would all be alright. If there was anything she could do to improve their chances, she'd do it.

After a grueling two hours, the effort the pack had put in was realized. After Hige passed out again, Blue scouted around for shelter. She decided they couldn't stay out in the open. Even in her frenzied occupied state, she began to remember things she should have done. They hadn't been covering their tracks and had no real idea where they were running too. Paradise wasn't a place on any map. No doubt hunters from all over the area would be coming after them. Tsume had said as much and frighteningly enough, Blue had to agree.

It wasn't much but there was a little cave above a waterfall. Blue didn't know exactly where they were. Where ever it was it didn't seem like a place people normally travelled. That was good at least.

Blue doubled back over to the pack. They made their way over to the place she'd found. Tsume carried Hige again. Kiba offered once more to carry Cheza on his back. Once again, she declined. The happy go lucky Flower Maiden still didn't seem like herself. She'd barely said anything and she kept looking up at the sky more than anything else.

Tsume dragged some birds that he'd caught while she was gone. Toboe was muddy too. He must have tried to help but he hadn't been very successful. He just looked dirtier and more frazzled then before. They all did actually. Blue could tell they were all starving, even Kiba who'd spent most of his time just staring at Cheza with a worried expression on his face.

Once they made it inside the cave, they started to eat immediately.

Blue still felt nauseous. If it wasn't for the fact that she knew she needed strength to survive, she wouldn't have eaten anything. Looking at Hige made things worse. She knew she should have stopped him when he went to attack thst noble woman. But she also knew that, he would have hated her for it. She would have wanted to do the same thing, if there situations were reversed.

Of course, she thought bitterly. The only beings she wanted to kill were wolves.

Silence overtook the pack again. Cheza started to sing, but her voice wasn't as strong as before. It was but a whisper.

Blue breathed in the scent of wet rock and flowers. Suddenly, barely even noticing it herself, she started to speak.

" I want all of you to know that... The reason I rushed you so much... Someone. P- The man I used to work with... He's chasing after us." Not just you, she thought. All of us. I'm a wolf now after all...

" He's going to try to kill us."

Cheza stopped singing. The silence swept over them like a wave. Blue considered the possibility that they might just kick her out of the cave to fend for herself.

" We'll just have to add him to the list then," Tsume shrugged. He was unfazed by her claim.

Kiba let out something that might be considered a laugh.

"We've made it this far. I'm sure it'll be alright." Cheza's and Toboe's positive attitude seemed to be rubbing off on the white wolf.

" Maybe..." Toboe said quietly. "If Hige doesn't wake up and start running around again... I can heal him."

Toboe said applying some sort of strange herb Blue didn't recognize. Cheza nodded and started to sing.

" Porky will be fine," Tsume yawned. " Idiots can't be killed."

" Is that why you're still around, Tsume?" Kiba asked Surprisingly, he smiled.

Tsume rolled his eyes but just as surprisingly, he smiled back. " I don't know, Kiba. I'd say it takes one to know one."

They both laughed.

They're happy

After some time,

" But why did he want us to leave him behind?" Blue asked after some time.

" We'll have to ask him when he wakes up," Toboe replied.

They set aside some of the bird for Hige to eat for later.

Tsume laid down and closed his eyes. " Wake me up when someone tries to kill us again."

It was strange but somehow, Blue felt safe there. They'd just struggled through a situation that could have led to their deaths, yet, they were happy. After thinking about it, she decided that they were happy because they had each other. Even though it was only the four of them, they were a wolf pack.

" I had Pops once," Blue thought bitterly.

Blue sat up straight by the entrance to the cave.

" I'll take the first watch," she volunteered. She didn't want to sleep right now anyway.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Please support the orginal authors! So I figured that this was a nice time for this chapter because these poor wolfs have been through enough, they need some down time (:_

 _Comments, likes, and follows are greatly appreciated!_


	39. Wolf's Rain Chapter 39: Night Talks

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 39: Night Talks**

 **Blue –**

Blue sat crouched in the cave's entrance. She ignored the crash of the waterfalls next to her. Every time an insect buzzed past her or the will day shifted, the hair on Blue's neck rose in alarm. Her bones ached, her mouth was dry, her eyelids were heavy. Right now she thought it would feel nice to sleep. But her dreams would only morph into nightmares. She couldn't stand anymore torment.

Everyone else slept. Perhaps their nightmares plagued them as hers had haunted her mind. She hoped not though. Whatever was waiting for them out there would most likely require their full strength.

She wanted to look back at Hige. To make sure he was alright. But the way he'd looked before made her want to cry. He was in pain and weak, because of her. Less then a year ago, she'd have wished this on him willingly.

So Blue faced forward, quietly, blending into the night sky. Awaiting an ambush that would hopefully never come. Hoping that Hige would wake up and be himself again.

Hope. After her long journey and countless sacrifices, all she had was hope. She barely had that anymore. It was her hope that'd brought her this far. It'd changed from a hope to kill all the wolves, to a hope that the wolf curse plaguing her would be broken. Then, despite all odds, her hope turned into something kinder. A hope that she didn't want to acknowledge.

Blue heard a noise behind her. She whipped her head around, smiling a bit. Hige might have woken up. Instead, it was Cheza, standing up and walking towards Blue slowly.

The Flower Maiden sat down quietly. Her expression was somber.

" This one thought it best to keep you company," Cheza whispered. She smiled a bit and continued. " You seem lonely."

" So do you," Blue whispered back bitterly. Why couldn't she acknowledge Cheza was trying to help? She sighed and opened her mouth to speak again. The intention to apologize on her mind.

But Cheza spoke first.

Hige will be fine, Blue. He is, as they say, " stronger then he looks."

" Thank you." Blue nodded. " I'm sure he will be." In truth, she wasn't sure she believed those words. She tried to smile anyway. She tried to believe.

" This one is not lonely," Cheza whispered. " Being surrounded by wolves… this one could not ever be lonely." Still, her positivity didn't sound as convincing as it usually did. Or maybe Blue was only imagining it. Not everyone was as miserable as she.

The Flower Maiden looked behind herself. Something Blue didn't dare to do anymore.

Cheza smoothed down the hem of her skirt.

" It seems that, as of now, this one cannot find the words to explain what she feels. However, she is sure that everything will be alright."

" That's good then," Blue responded.

" Yes," Cheza answered. Her hands fidgeted across her skirt again. She closed her eyes." It seems that happiness is acquired through sacrifice.

" Right," Blue replied. Startled by the Flower Maiden's words. It sounded like she'd recited them from somewhere.

" Cheza?"

" Yes, Blue," Cheza said opening her eyes and smiling a bit.

" Do I – When you look at me, do I still look like a wolf?"

Blue had asked the question before she could stop herself. Still, for some reason, she needed to know the answer.

" When this one looks at you, she sees a wolf, yes. Though sometimes, you look more like a girl." Cheza smiles and nods to herself. " This one can still assure you that your forms are one and the same."

" I see… thank you, Cheza." Blue was starting to regret asking now.

" This one is glad to be of help, Blue." Cheza smiled.

Still, seeing the Flower Maiden's smile strangely made her feel happy.

" This one is sorry that she hasn't led you to Paradise as of yet."

Blue shook her head. " It's alright, we'll get there eventually."

Blue wasn't sure she believed that either.

* * *

 **-Hige-**

When Hige awoke, it was somewhere dark and foreign. Damp cold air seeped into his skin. The taste of some bitter herb clung his mouth. He spat it out silently.

Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe were asleep near him. He couldn't see Cheza and Blue anymore. His ears pricked up. They couldn't be dead, he suddenly thought in a panic.

Of course not. He refused to believe that they could. Still, he knew that as long as he was here with them, they were in danger. His collar hung on his neck, feeling ten times heavier then it was. He gulped. Memories of Hige's newly remembered past flickered through his mind. Jaguara and her sword stabbing his friends. He growled. His muscles tensed.

I have to get out of here, Hige thought in a panic.

Toboe started to stir beside him.

From the opposite side of the room, Hige noticed Kiba's eyes open wide. He sat with his back on the cave wall as if he hadn't been sleeping in the first place.

" You're awake," Kiba remarked quietly. " How soon before you think you'll be alright to travel?"

Toboe stood up and shook his fur out. He was bleary-eyed and covered in dirt.

" Kiba," Toboe yawned. " You should give him a few more minutes to adjust before you ask him that." Toboe glanced over at a pile of what appeared to be meat. " You should eat something first."

Hige's stomach growled at the offer of food.

He shook his head. The motion hurt.

" I'm not going anywhere," the words came out of his mouth shakily.

Toboe nodded his head. His tail wagged at an almost nauseating speed. His smile was almost infectious. Hige couldn't let himself be happy right now.

" Exactly," Toboe said. " You should rest. You lost a lot of blood out there and what you really need to do is eat something and then go back to sleep."

" No, I-" Hige started to protest but was interrupted.

Cheza's warm soft hands wrapped around his neck.

" This one is so glad you're alright, Hige." She said nuzzling up into his shoulder. " This one knew you would wake up again," she hummed.

There was a loud yawn from across the side of the cave.

" I'm glad you finally decided to wake up again, Porky."

Everyone was happy that Hige had survived. Just as he was glad they were alright. Though he hadn't caught sight of Blue yet. That was fine. He didn't think he wanted to see another wolf he was about to disappoint.

There wasn't any good way to say what he was trying to say so he just blurted it out.

" No, I mean… I can't stay here with you guys. I have to leave. I can't be part of this pack anymore."

Despite what he said, Cheza didn't let go of him. The wolves around him looked with concerned faces.

"W-why would you say that?" Toboe asked nervously.

Hige jerked his neck forward. Cheza moved back, startled. His collar swung with a metallic clank.

" This- this collar is a tracking collar. I- 've been helping the nobles. I've been helping lady Jaguara kill wolves."

He realized he was yelling now. But that didn't matter. He'd be gone soon enough.

" I became friends with them. I joined their pack and then the Nobles came- They killed everyone – except for me. They needed me alive so they could- so that I could do it all over again."

Hige had started to cry. He closed his eyes for a moment. That was a mistake. Images from his past danced around in his mind.

" If I stay here… it'll just happen again. And I can't let what happened to happen to you guys."

Hige laughed, it sounded raspy and bitter. " It's almost funny… I was so set on getting my memories back. Then, once I met you guys and I was fine the way I was. But now I know… I can still save you guys."

Hige looked at the ground. He backed away and tried to catch his breath.

" I'm… sorry but I have to leave," he repeated.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction!_

 _This is_ a Wolf's _Rain fanfiction, please support the original authors. This chapter was originally supposed to be longer and now it kind of ends on an awkward cliffhanger so sorry about that. Work is kicking my butt again lol. The pack needs to talk things out but that isn't going to stop them from being all brooding and dramatic. If it wasn't obvious enough already, Cheza's not happy with Kiba but she also isn't happy with herself O:_

Comments, _likes, and follows are much appreciated! See you guys next time :)_


	40. Wolf's Rain Chapter 40 - Together

**Wolf's Rain**

 **Chapter 40 - Together**

 **\- Blue** –

Blue didn't want to walk back over to where Hige was. Her body felt heavy and her mouth was dry. With everything going on, it felt like she was in the way. But Hige was alive and she wanted to see him. She smiled, even though he was covered in blood and burses, he was alive. She was glad he was alive however. More then anything, her chest throbbed in a weird way that she didn't fully understand.

When Hige started talking and the conversation began to unfold a wave of nausea overtook her. The realization that Hige wanted to leave dawned on her.

" If he wants to leave, we should let him go. There's no use in being around others who don't want to be around you."

She hadn't said these words. Her thoughts. Or the words that she'd wanted to say so long.

" Thanks for saving my life."

Instead, her eyes started to water. She wasn't sure why. Other then helping her before, protecting her even when it wasn't in his best interest. Hige could have been killed. Protecting others. That's what she'd vowed to do. Protect those from the scourge of wolves. It'd been a wolf that'd protected her. Blues had lived her life based on these convictions. There wasn't anything she was really sure of now.

A spike of anxiety passed through her. She took a breath and sat back down. She decided to wait and listen instead of running over there and demanding answers.

Cheza's sad plea echoed in Blue's ears.

" You can't go anywhere, Hige," Cheza said.

" No-" Hige protested. " I can't- I have to leave before I hurt anyone else.

Blue stood there, tense, waiting for something to happen.

Cheza was crying. " Hige this one doesn't understand what you are trying to say."

" I'm trying to say… that I need to leave, Cheza. I need to get as far away from this place as possible."

He'd said it all before. Even still, Cheza asked why again.

He was trembling. Out of fear or anger, Blue wasn't sure.

" I can't risk anyone else getting hurt," Hige sighed.

" Hige," Toboe said. " We've all done things we regret but that doesn't mean we aren't a pack now."

" It isn't that simple, Toboe," Hige snapped.

" Yes it is," Toboe shouted. " You should stay here with us.'

" I can't, it wouldn't be safe. I need to leave." Now Hige was shouting too.

Blue wondered how long the conversation could keep going around in circles.

Hige took step forward and then another until he was practically running. He walked with a limp though. It wasn't a good idea for him to be exerting himself.

Apparently, Toboe thought the same thing.

" If you go out now you could die. You're still not properly healed," Toboe shouted.

" I don't care," Hige replied miserably.

Tsume moved in front of him, slowly like he really wasn't interested in any of this.

" I'm not going to force you to stay if you want to leave… But are you sure any of this stuff happened? It could all be in your head."

" It's not," Hige replied after a minute. He shook his head.

" J-Jaguara told me before that I was her servant and I didn't want to believe her. When I almost died… the images flashed in my mind. It was real and it'd happened before. I know it is." Hige sighed. " I don't think it's so strange. We're wolves and people sometimes think we're humans. It's a strange world, I just don't think it's a world I want to be part of anymore."

" It seems that we've all done things we regret," Tsume said with sadness surprisingly in his voice.

" But I don't think we should let the choices of nobles and affect us. We shouldn't dwell on the past."

" How can you say that?" Hige asked. "They'll always try to hunt us down. Humans hunted and killed your old pack, Tsume. They killed your pack, Kiba. They hunted down mine. Humans, hunters, nobles- they'll never stop chasing us. I'm only making it easier. I'm a traitor. You should just let me fade away."

Cheza's cry in the background broke Blues heart.

Blue wasn't sure she believed what Hige had said. He didn't seem like the type hurt others intentionally.

Blue was. She'd done so before which was why she was shocked they they'd want her anywhere near her. Surely Hige had to understand that his pack didn't care about such things.

Kiba walked over to Hige slowly. His face was serious, unreadable for the most part.

Kiba stopped and looked at Cheza for a moment before he spoke.

" I don't think you should do this to yourself. We're all here… Five wolves and a Flower Maiden because we want to do something. We're all running from something. But we're all running too something too. We know the risks. But we won't stop. So, you should keep running with us too, Hige."

Hige's eyes widened. He smiled. Maybe Kiba's words had been enough. They were all trying to achieve the same goal, despite the odds against them.

Kiba had said five wolves. For yet another time, Blue believed this was all the work of an vengeful god. What was stopping all of them from being happy? She didn't know exactly but for now, this had to be enough. Hige could stay here with them and not need to worry about the past.

- **Hige** -

Hige was still standing there in the carven surrounded by his pack. Even after everything he'd done, after everything he'd told them he'd done, they wanted him to stay. He still couldn't bring himself to leave.

His paws were shaking in the soft mud. Blood dripped from his side. He watched Toboe stared at him with concern in his eyes. Hige couldn't met his gaze.

" Y-you really want me to stay?"

He didn't know why he'd asked. It didn't matter what the answer was. He couldn't stay.

Hige wanted to stay. He wanted to find Paradise with everyone. He wanted to live with his friends. He didn't want to die in a ditch somewhere. Getting shot at by hunters was unappealing.

Hige had to admit, now that he had time to think, none of the things he knew he had to do were ones he wanted.

He didn't have the luxury of wanting anything. After all that'd he'd done.

He still didn't make a move to go anywhere. he couldn't be responsible for anymore death on his paws.

No matter what anyone said, he couldn't go back.

He grudgingly took a step forward. He had to do something before he lost his nerve.

He had to keep moving again.

Blue started walking straight towards him, an angry frown on her face. She glared at Hige sighed and looked down at the ground. She looked up and her expression softened.

" Thank you," Blue said. " For saving my life before."

Hige didn't say anything at first. Then clumsy Hige replied, " you're welcome."

He sighed and went to walk past her. She moved in front of him.

" I wanted to say thank you," Blue repeated. She swallowed hard.

" Everyone else... Is closer to you, I would think. Despite everything, I think you should stay with us. If everyone wants you to stay, isn't it selfish to leave now?" Blue asked.

Everyone was staring at Hige now. The same look of ferocious loyalty in their eyes.

It scared him because, when he looked at them there wasn't anything in the world he wanted more then to be near them. Was Blue right? Was it selfish of him to ignore everyone else's wishes? They all wanted the same thing.

Hige's muscles were heavy and he was uncomfortably cold. He didn't want to leave.

" This one doesn't want you to leave," Cheza said.

" None of us do," Toboe said.

" We've put up with you for this long, Porky. What difference does it make anymore?"

" The nobles are always chasing after us," Kiba said. "They always will. We've just got to be faster then them. If you rest, maybe we can be off sooner then if you didn't."

Hige didn't have a word for the amount of acceptance and understanding he'd received from everyone.

He didn't think words were enough. He was already crying again.

His voice cracked when he tried to speak. " All of you... Thank you."

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Chapter 40 is here and I'm happy with it! The more I write the more I think I deviate from the anime and the story line I had planned out. But I'm glad Hige didn't get murdered by Jaguara so it's fine._

 _Comments, likes and follows are appreciated! (:_

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	41. Wolf's Rain Chapter 41 Conflict

**Kiba**

 **Chapter 41 – Conflicted Emotions**

* * *

There was no doubt in Kiba's mind that everyone was scared and tired. They spent another night in the cave. Tsume went out and hunted birds. Hige slept mostly. Blue paced around for a while but she finally sat down and closed her eyes. Toboe had fallen asleep a long time ago.

Kiba sat by the caves entrance, listening. He looked back at Cheza every so often. Her eyes were closed. Though she'd told him she didn't sleep. Her chest rose and fell every time she breathed.

She'd seemed sad to him somehow. He couldn't tell why exactly. If it was some strange wolf Flower Maiden link he couldn't tell.

The Wolf's had assured Cheza that it was fine that they hadn't made it to Paradise yet. Hige was alive. Everyone was fine for the most part. They could outrun the nobles. And if they couldn't Kiba would kill them.

He winced at that thought, at his blood lust. Or lack of regard for human life.

Cheza didn't like it when Kiba fought. She hadn't liked it when he'd killed. She really hadn't liked it when he'd killed Darcia. But he'd only done so to protect her. Kiba would do anything to protect Cheza. She had to know he just wanted her safe. Her wanted her to be happy. He liked the expression she had on her face when she was having a nice time.

When she was done resting he'd tell her that.

It seemed that what Cheza really wanted was a land of peace. She was tired of violence, he could tell. So as much as he wanted to go to Paradise because that's were all wolves belonged. He wanted Cheza there with him. He wanted her to be happy and safe.

Another thankfully uneventful day crept by. Still Kiba was on edge all day. He watched Toboe fuss over Hige's wounds. Hige was back to normal now he thought. The plump wolf was talking to Cheza and Toboe about how he wanted to find a city with good butcher shop.

Tsume and Blue were taking shifts scouting the area nearby. Kiba had taken a couple though he didn't particularly want to. He wanted to stay with Cheza. But they hassled him about it and he just decided I'd be easier to just agree.

Blue left the cave to scout and find food. She came back with four moles.

The pack was collectively elated. Cheza smiled but she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes in what was probably some sort of human ritual.

" You're a great hunter, Blue" Hige remarked happily with his mouth full of food.

Blue smiled a bit though her eyes still looked sad. " Thank you. I've always been good at it."

"Well, I've always been good at eating things," Hige replied.

"You didn't say anything when I found those rabbits yesterday night," Tsume groused.

" I did." Though he didn't look Tsume in the eye so Kiba thought he was lying.

"You were sleeping. Maybe your losing your edge in your old age," Hige laughed.

"Hige, we're the same age." Probably" he said under his breath. " Though you don't act like it." Besides," Tsume chuckled. " I think it's more that you're a flirtatious porker."

" Hey, that's not even fair," Hige protested. " I haven't eaten a hotdog in like a year."

" And that's a bad thing?" Tsume asked.

They both started laughing.

" Yes," Hige said. " It's terrible."

They both kept laughing. Kiba was glad everyone's moods were getting better. Not just for them but also for Cheza's sake She wanted them to be happy.

Blue cleared her throat. " Thank you," she repeated quietly. " Listen," she said in a louder voice.

"I scouted the area. I didn't get to close but Nobles were coming in from the East on horseback. There weren't that many of them there, thankfully. We shouldn't stay here. Its dangerous."

Finally, someone else was saying what Kiba had been thinking all along.

" If what the people in Black City were true… If Freeze City is under Jaguara's control it might not be the best idea for us to stay around here. They're probably hunting us right now."

"If Jaguara isn't really… available right now then… well it's a terrible idea to go near Black City ever again. Anything would probably be safer then that."

Blue sighed. " However, if the Nobles of Freeze City are loyal to their original lord-"

" They aren't," Tsume interjected. All traces of humor gone from his face. "Even still, backtracking isn't a good idea."

" Well," Blue said after sometime. " It's better then walking into what could potentially be a death trap. "

" Yeah," Tsume shrugged.

" I think," Kiba said.. Everyone turned to him abruptly. " We've already been to Freeze City and Lesburg and Cheza didn't sense anything there. We should keep going forward. To where Cheza wants us to go."

Cheza looked up at the cave ceiling. "Yes, this one does want to take you to Paradise." She took a breath. Her face looked a little sad he thought. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line

" We should go in the opposite direction from Black City."

"Oh," Hige said excitedly. " You can sense where Paradise is again."

" This one believes that she can find it now," Cheza said quietly.

"Well then lets go," Hige shouted. He stood up and notably winced at the pain.

" That's great and all Cheza, it really is. But you need to rest, Hige."

" I'm fine," Hige smiled. " It'll take more then what the Nobles did to take me out."

Kiba looked at the plump brown wolf and smiled. " I'm glad your back to your old self."

" Heh, thanks Kiba," Hige replied. But Kiba could swear he sounded kind of sad too.

Tsume yawned but Kiba knew he cared.

" Are we ready to go then?" Tsume asked impatiently.

Cheza stood up and brushed off her tunic. Blue walked closer to the door and sighed.

" If we come across any Nobles we'll just have to fight," Kiba said.

The five of them stood at the caves mouth. The wind blew in there direction, through their fur and skin.

Night had fallen again. The moon was up in the sky. The group stepped out into the cave towards what they hoped was Paradise.

They walked for some time, keeping off main roads and weaving through the nearby mountain range. The trek was slower then Kiba would have liked but they seemed to be making progress.

Cheza walked in front of everyone at times. It seemed as if she finally knew where she was going.

Traveling like the together was sort of nice. With occasional chit chat and debates to keep things lively. No one wanted to talk to loudly though.

Another day where they stopped to rest and hunt. Blue stopped and scouted the area up ahead. She came back about an hour later, a worried expression playing over her face.

" there's a human settlement near by," she muttered.

Now she and everyone else were on edge. Tsume looked particularly worried about something. When Kiba had asked him about it all he'd said was that where there human settlements near by there were hunters.

They'd picked a spot in between some trees to stay for the night.

"We can probably just go around the camp," Blue suggested. " I'd would take more time to do… but after what happened in the last town it's got the best."

They agreed to go around the camp tomorrow. Dirty water puddles and small grisly poultry was all they had to get by. They'd thought about having Cheza and Blue go into town to buy supplies but risk of having Cheza go somewhere with only one other wolf was terrifying. So they'd decided against it.

In the middle of the night, the moon hung in the sky, big and heavy

Hige got up and said he was going to pee.

Tsume said that now Hige was acting like a human.

Hige yawned. " I just have manners." He walked off out of the brush.

Time passed and Hige was still gone.

" How long does it take to go and take piss," Tsume asked tiredly but Kiba could tell the Tsume actually cared.

Blue got up to look for Hige.

A few minutes later she returned.

"He's gone," she muttered.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Please support the original authors. I haven't written from Kiba's pov in a while. Every time I do I realize how much I like his character. He's simple yet complex in a way. I feel sorry for these poor wolves though. Just when everyone was having fun too..._

 _Thanks for reading! Comments, likes and follows are highly appreciated!_


	42. Wolfs Rain Chapter 42 - Lies

**Cheza -**

* * *

They couldn't stay out there in the open so they under a little broken down carriage.

" Where is he," Toboe shouted nervously. " He shouldn't be walking around by himself with those injury's."

Blue looked off in the distance. Some how Cheza thought she knew after all. She looked off into the distance nervously.

" What happened to him," Kiba asked Blue.

She looked at him and grit her teeth. She didn't say anything.

" He couldn't have gotten very far on his own."

Cheza didn't like that Hige was missing. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed he'd left. She should have been able to stop him. Even still, there they were, huddled in the mud, and it seems that there was nothing she could do. Cheza felt an ache that wouldn't go away.

She took a breath and tried to think about where Hige might be. She tried to sense were he was. She clutched the fabric of her dress tightly.

If you believe in your power, it will come.

Were those her thoughts or someone else's? She wasn't sure. Still, it didn't seem right. Paradise had to be somewhere but in truth, she didn't know where it was. She had lied. A human made concept that she'd learned about in a book. A terrible thing. Tricksters in story books. People trying to survive and doing anything they had to. Her hope was that the lie would turn into a truth.

Perhaps the same could be said for Blue and Cher. Would whatever Blue's lie was turn into the truth too?

Blue sighed. " I'm not sure what your talking about, Kiba."

" I wouldn't let him go just anywhere."

She stood up and stretched. Her eyes flashed with confidence. " I can find him though."

She started walking quickly. The others followed for a minute with out saying anything. Then Tsume spoke up.

" What makes you so sure you can find him," he asked.

" I found all of you didn't l," Blue responded without looking back.

" Well that was easy. We getting shot at every five seconds after all."

"Oh goodness," Cheza yelped. " Really?"

" It wasn't that bad." Said Kiba. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle."

" I see." Cheza sighed in relief . " This one hopes it doesn't happen again."

" I'm sure he just went off to get something to eat," Toboe muttered.

Cheza wasn't sure she believed. Still she hoped that was the case.

They walked like that for a while. Cheza felt like they'd been walking for days. However, Blue suddenly stopped. She sighed and looked behind her.

"Alright," she huffed. " We're here."

" What do you mean?" Toboe asked. " This is just a forest."

" Yes, I know." She closed her eyes and sighed again.

" This should be fine. I think we've gone far enough."

"Blue, what are you talking about?" Toboe asked again.

She shook her head. " I'm sorry. You won't be able to find him now."

She closed her eyes and said, " he would have wanted it this way."

 **\- Blue -**

* * *

" Why are you running away," Blue asked Hige.

Pine needles crunched under his paws. He'd thought they'd all be asleep. It seemed he couldn't catch a break.

" I already told you before and you didn't listen," he whispered. He tried to keep the sorrow out of his voice but there it was anyway. " I have to leave. Get as far away from everyone as I can."

" You can't do that," Blue replied. Her voice was sad and though he didn't know he as well as the other wolves it bothered him.

"Yes I can. I have to leave before you get killed or something."

He tried to keep calm but he was so tired of explaining himself. Sure, he'd spent the last couple of days sleeping. But they'd all been plagued with nightmares. If the others woke up now, it would only get worse he was

" W-we already told you… that it doesn't matter if you stay here."

" It matters to me," Hige growled.

Blue whimpered. Why he stop hurting those around him. Blue looked so hurt, so dejected that he wanted to get closer to her and comfort her. But such things couldn't be done now.

" Listen," Hige whispered. " I don't have time for this. If you think I'm selfish or a coward for doing what I'm do that's fine. I should be dead right now. J-jaguara should have just ran me through with her sword. But that didn't happen so here we aren."

Hige took a breath. " I'm sorry Blue. Please just let me leave."

Both of there ears were flattened and various levels of scowls appeared on their faces.

" This is what you want?" Blue asked quietly.

Hige nodded.

" Fine then," Blue said closing her eyes. " I owe you after all. You helped save my life so I'll help you destroy yours."

Hige felt awful but he mustered up a quiet " thank you."

He felt awful for forcing Blue to put up with his crap. He'd never imagined he'd meet a wolf of the fairer sex, let alone talk to her. Well, he was sure now that he had before but he didn't think his past counted. But here he was arguing about how to get away from her. He was so tired of all of this.

" Where will you go?" Blue asked.

" I'll figure something out," he replied smiling. He wasn't sure why he was. Maybe he really had snapped. Either way, Hige presided to wander into away with only the faint sound of sobbing to keep him company.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction. Yet another sad chapter but we're getting there. Will I ever be able to write more then Hige x Blue angst lol My work life has been kicking in the butt so this chapter is way shorter then it should be 0:_


	43. Wolf's Rain Chapter 43

**\- Hige –**

Uncertainty seemed to worm it's way further into Hige heart with ever step he took. He still didn't know where he was going. But he kept walking. No clear destination in mind.

Days passed, he thought. Dirt clung to his paws, it rained and the dirt turned into mud.

He licked at the water falling from the sky. He wasn't sure that he actually wanted to live anymore. His impulse to stay alive was still there.

It was lonely with out his pack – his friends. He could smell his blood on his coat. The strange herb mixture Toboe had forced onto him. He remembered eating some meat someone had hunted down for him. But Hige's stomach still growled loudly every once in a while.

He couldn't feel anything anymore. He missed them. But he didn't look back. It was better this way.

After all, whatever pain he was going through, he deserved it. The wolves that he'd let get killed had gone through worse. He hadn't been able to stop that. What he was doing now had to happen. He wouldn't allow his pack to be hunted down and killed.

Besides, it didn't matter anymore. It'd all be over soon anyway.

Would Jaguara notice when he died? Had the battle killed her as well. He hoped so. At the very least, they'd both die. Even now, anger burned inside him. It was dull now though. The blowing wind and cool night air barely registered on his skin.

Hige was so tired. Maybe if he just rested for a bit, he could figure out what he wanted to do. He collapsed on the ground. A heavy sigh poured out of him.

Who was he kidding, Hige wanted to die.

He laughed or made a sound akin to it. Wouldn't it be funny if Paradise was only the place you went to when you died?

He actually didn't think it was all that funny. But the thought was there anyway.

He couldn't see anything. It was dark. He hoped this wasn't the place you went to when you died.

He could hear voices. They were angry. One of them was a girl.

" You can't," she cried. " He needs help! You shouldn't just leave him there. "

Another voice spoke, male – angry.

" I'm not going to leave it here." He laughed cruelly. "We're going to put it out of it's misery and it."

" No, we can't do that," the girl protested.

" We can't eat a wolf," she shook her head. " N-not one that's still alive anyway. I-It's wrong."

" Who cares what you want? Starve for all I care. I'd be for the better anyway. One less mouth to worry about."

" I…. I can take care of him."

" I'm not wasting our resources on someone who's barely alive. We never have and we never will."

" Well he's not from the colonies. He's probably stronger then the other wanderers. A-and we could use more workers ."

The man sighed. " I'm not feeding it."

" I will. I can spar a few meals."

The man laughed again. " Then you'll starve." He paused for a second and then said " do whatever you want but know that their won't be anyone to lend you food. If you die, we'll eat your corpse the same as his."

Hige could hear footsteps moving away from him.

" And I'm not helping you drag it back either," the male voice yelled.

" Thank you," the girl answered. " I can manage though."

Hige still didn't know what was going on. No matter what he did he still couldn't move his body. He couldn't open his eyes. Being trapped in darkness while someone was right next to you was disconcerting.

A girl for that matter.

She crept closer to him. Underneath the blood smell and the smell of death that clung was the girls sweet scent.

It was stupid but Hige was starting to think he'd gone to Paradise after all. This girl was trying to save her. Though none of his pack was there. He still couldn't open his eyes.

" Well… I'm not sure if you can hear me… But

I will save you. Don't worry, wolf."

He heard her walk away after a moment. She must not have meant it after all.

Hige passed out again. He wasn't sure how long. He hadn't thought he was going to wake up again. Somehow he did. Someone was pouring water in his mouth.

" I'm sure that after your journey here you are tired," the girl said softly.

" Where did you come from I wonder? I don't recognize your scent. You're a different color too... I see something bad has happened to you though." Despite everything, the girl seemed chipper.

Her voice cracked a bit. She must not have been really expecting him to live

"O-once you wake up you can tell me about it."

Hige wished he could tell her not to go through all the trouble.

She put something under him that felt like leaves. Then something sharp grazzed her neck.

Fangs?

He wasn't sure.

Either way Hige could feel himself being dragged across the rocky floor.

She spoke again, her voice muffled now.

" I'm sorry you haven't had much to eat… but at least your lighter. Easier to drag."

Hige still wasn't any more sure what was happening to him then he was went he'd first set out on his own.

But for more than one reason then another he was starting to feel that no matter what he did, fate had other plans for him.

* * *

 _Hello_ and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Please support the original authors.

Geez poor Hige 'd think I'd be done torturing Hige but here we are. _This_ chapter was going to be longer but once again life got in the way ...Still I'm happy with how it turned out. Who is this mystery girl? Only time will tell I guess :)

Thanks fot reading! Comments, follows and shares are hugely appreciated.


	44. Wolfs Rain Chapter 44 - Hope

**_\- Blue -_**

For a while, all she could hear was yelling all around her. It was what she deserved. She was a traitor and a liar. But she felt numb more then anything else.

Hige had asked her to do that. And she wouldn't have lied if he hadn't asked her to. Or maybe she would have.

Who truly knew what decisions you'd make if you had a second change?

She wasn't going to stop someone who wanted to leave. She didn't want to force anyone to stay with her. She tried to tell the others that. Hige had saved her life, twice. She owed him what ever he wanted her to do within her power. Despite the fact that it hurt like hell to watch Hige leave.

She missed him. He was a wolf but he was kind and sweet. She missed him – as if there wasn't already enough wrong with her. Her heart ached. Worse yet, she lied to the others she'd started to consider her friends.

Blue really was losing her mind. They were friends though. They'd gone through a lot together. Somehow, this had become more of a quest for answers about herself.

Though she'd found one answer. Not all wolves were bad after all.

That made her feel even worse.

Despite what she'd hoped she didn't feel numb and the stares of the wolf pack and Cheza on her.

She met them. Maybe, in their rage they'd put her out of her misery.

She wouldn't be so lucky she was sure. A shiver went down her spine. Pops would want her to live.

She shivered. No, he would've wanted her to kill all the wolves around her. She doubted he'd want her alive anymore if he saw her again.

Hige had risked his life to save her so the least she could do was keep living hers.

" I'm not going to apologize for what I did," Blue sighed.

" I'd do it again because that's what he asked me to do. You can't force others to do what you want just because its what you want."

" That doesn't make what you did alright," Tsume growled.

" I'm not saying that it does," Blue shouted back. " But there isn't anything I can now."

Toboe and Cheza were crying.

Kiba stared ahead all of them. Blue still had a hard time reading him. But she could tell he was sad too. They all were.

" What are you going to do?" Kiba asked her. His voice quiet and neutral.

Blue shook her head instinctively. She had no idea what she was going to do. Him putting her thoughts to into words was more frightening.

Still, Blue though she owed them all her honesty now.

" I'm not sure myself. I'll leave though. I've caused you enough trob-"

"No," Cheza interrupted, surprisingly. " You cannot leave," she sobbed. " This one cannot lose you as well, Blue." She walked over and wrapped her arms around Blue's neck.

" T-this one is sorry for interrupting you, Blue," Cheza sniffled. " However you simply cannot. What ever we decide to do we need to do it together."

Blues heart twisted. Cheza smelled like flowers. Being this close to the Flower Maiden made her feel at ease.

" Thank you, Cheza," Blue said straining her neck. Still she couldn't help but smile a bit.

" If we hurry maybe we can still catch him. This one thinks that she can still sense his presence nearby."

Cheza pulled away from Blue. Her eyes were still stained with tears. Her lip quivered and it made Blue even sadder.

" He didn't want that…" Blue said quietly. " I should have never told you."

" I'm glad you did.," Toboe sniffled.

" If he doesn't want to be around us so badly he can tell us himself," Tsume grumbled.

" Then it's settled," Kiba sighed. " We'll go and find him."

Blue wanted to tell them that they'd already said they wanted to Hige to stay and it hadn't worked. But the looks in their eyes told her to stay quiet. They wanted their friend back.

They stood up to start walking again, as if they hadn't just spent days walking already.

Cheza looked tired. Toboe's stomach growled. How long had it been sense they'd last eaten or slept. She had to remember to do those things for herself so she'd be able to function. Every sinse she'd started traveling I'd gotten harder and harder to keep her stomach full and her mind sharp.

Kiba seemed to off sensed this as well. He looked up at the sky and sighed again.

" He couldn't have gotten far. We can leave at dawn and still catch up in a day."

* * *

 _Hi! This is a Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Thanks for coming. Thnk you for reading. Another chapter that would have but longer but life got in the way again._


	45. Wolf's Rain Chapter 45 - Awakening

Wolf's Rain Chapter 45 - Awakening

-Hige-

Hige still didn't know where he was. He fell asleep again, his body shifting in and out of consciousness until he wasn't sure if he was awake or asleep. He could hear the girl humming at one point. She put something edible in his mouth and practically forced him.  
He still wasn't sure what day it was or how much time had passed. Not that it mattered anyway.  
Though somehow it kind of did.  
The girl was always talking or humming when she was around him. Just idle chit chat. She asked him a lot of questions. She'd laugh about it, saying she knew he couldn't answer her right away. But she wanted to remember for when he did. She sang a lot too. The melodies were strange but comforting. They reminded him of Cheza's songs.

But he learned in bits and pieces that the girl didn't have the best life.  
One time he heard her throwing up. Another time men were yelling at her to get back to work.  
She was getting to weak, not doing her job properly. She'd die sooner or later because of that stupid wolf.

Hige still didn't know who she was, but he didn't want her to die either way.  
He'd gotten strong enough that his body wasn't in a fog. His mouth was coated in herbs. He felt heavy but he could open his eyes. Most of his pain was gone.

There was still darkness even when he opened his eyes. A cave, dark, musty and dry.  
Hige stood up on wobbly legs.  
He breathed a breath that smells like sweat and dirt.  
Whatever this was he needed to leave. He didn't want the girl taking care of him anymore.

He took shaky steps towards the caves entrance.  
Someone was walking towards him. Hige blinked a few times. It was a cat.

"H-hello," she said shakily but she was excited sounding. Ger tail wagged and her ears twitched.  
" I'm so glad you're awake! I knew you'd be alright."  
The voice didn't belong to a human after all.  
She brushed up against him and purred.  
" I'm glad you didn't die." She was too close to Hige. His muscled stiffened and he winced at the pain.  
She was a cat of some sort though. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. But she smelled nice and she was cute as far as cats went. Not that he remembered meeting any other cats before.  
Not that it made any difference if she was cute or not. He was still leaving.  
" You shouldn't walk around like that though. You've wounds are going to reopen," the cat girl whispered  
He was so tired of hearing that. Listening to her voice wasn't helping matters either. Hige wanted to stay. He was tired of being alone.

His ears flattened back.  
"Oh," the girl chirped. " Where are my manners? My name is Myu. What are you called?"  
" It doesn't matter," Hige replied miserably.

" That's a silly name for someone," Myu laughed.  
" Still," she said smiling. " Whoever you are, you still need to rest."  
Suddenly she sounded sad. " You won't be able to rest soon enough."

"What do you mean by-"

" Wait," she interrupted. " They're coming- Go lay back down."  
He wasn't sure why she was asking but he couldn't not listen to her. After all that she'd done for her he had too.

He was glad he had. Mere seconds after he'd gone back to where he'd spent a long amount of time passed out on the ground he heard shouting and angry voices.  
" You were supposed to be working now," one of them growled harshly. " No one has time for you to be lazing around."  
" I know," Myu protested. " I just had to make sure he's alright."

" You're not going to be alright if you don't get up and get to work. Your really becoming dead weight."  
" I know but-"

Myu was interrupted.  
" But nothin'. The boss is tired of your crap. " And there's plenty of others out their that are less of a bother then you. I've given you enough warnings already," the man snarled.

Hige knew something was very wrong. The hairs on his back stood up on end.  
Before he knew what he was doing. He jumped up in front or Myu and what he saw afterwards made the hairs on his back stand on end.  
They were wolves. Stringy, haggard gret wolves - a lot like how he surely was. They were menacing and hungry. A terrible combination.  
"You shouldn't threaten her like that. She was helping me." And now Hige was talking when he should have kept his mouth shut but here he was.  
"If that mutt is awake he can pull his weight now."  
" No he really can't," Myu shouted. " He needs to rest."

" We all need to rest," one of the wolves growled. " But no one gets it until we accomplish out goals."

One of the wolves stepped forward. They grabbed Hige by the neck. " So get to work."

-  
They walked all over the place, through the mud and wetness. In all actuality, they dragged Hige around. A big scary greyish wolf led the pack. They walked past human made shelters. The smell of flint clogged his nostrels. Hige wanted to puke.

He was afraid to ask but he didn't want any of them getting hurt. As mean as most of them seemed, they were still wolves and they'd d8e if they hung around him.

Hige opened his mouth to protest.  
" I really need to leave," he said.  
One of them laughed. " You aren't going anywhere, " they said.  
It reminded Hige of when his old pack said it, and he missed them. He wanted to go back to them and find Paradise. He couldn't do that. He couldn't stay here either, as much as he didn't want to run anymore.  
Thankfully, they didn't walk very fast. It seemed that everyone around him was tired.

Several wolves of different colors were working a field.  
The place smelled of flint, muck, grime and sweat - most alarmingly it smelled of death.

Hige really wanted to run. There wasn't any where for him to hide however. He doubted he could fight his way through.

They stopped so suddenly that Hige almost bumped into the wolf in front of him.  
The wolf in front of him didn't turn around as he growled, " find something down their or neither of you eat tonight."  
The wolf in front of hin him stepped from the side revealing a huge dark crater.  
It glistened, though it was dark and black. The crater smelled like death.

Hige felt what little blood he had left chill.  
He took a step backwards, involuntarily.  
There was no wind, it was cold. No trees grew, no grass or water. All the wolves working stayed away from the area. Even the ones working, pulling machines and digging in the ground.  
Hige hadn't ever seen anything like this before.

Hige could hear Myu protesting in the background.  
Whatever it was was falling on deaf ears.  
He glanced around at all the wolves working, struggling, dying. He didn't like it at all.  
Before he could ask what was going on, he felt his paws move right out from under him. Myu screamed. He was in the air, pain coursing through his body. Then the rough sharp pain of something stabbing him in the back. He hit the ground, groaning. Even though could still move if he wanted he felt like just staying their and never getting up.

Myu was laying down on the ground, staring up at him. Concern and fear were all over her face, as was dirt. Even still she looked cute

"Are you alright?" She asked.

" I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting them to do that to you," she sighed and stood up.

" Can you walk? Did you break anything?"

"No," Hige replied. " I'm fine." He lied. It felt stupid to say. It was stupid of her to ask too though. Almost funny, Hige thought. Of course they weren't ok.

Myu laughed. " Really,' I'm not."

Hige couldn't help but laugh too. She was so strange to him.

He looked up, blinking, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.  
" What is this place," Hige asked without thinking. It almost felt better not to know. He wasn't sure how many more terrible revelations he could handle.

Myu laughed again. " I do owe you an explanation, but you still owe me what your called."

" I can't stay here for long," Hige replied. " You're very nice but... I don't want to make any friends."

Myu's ears flattened.  
" I see."

" I'm sorry, under normal circumstances everything would be fine but- but I can't stay around here. I have to leave. Seriously. I don't have anything to offer you but if you could show me how to get out of here I'd really appreciate it."

Myu sighed again. " The entrance is a long ways away from here but we have to get some ore for them first."

Myu took a step forward.  
" I understand... of course you want to leave. I can show you how to leave. But you do have something that I want. Just for a little bit I'd like a friend."

" I still have to leave eventually - you know that right?"  
Hige didn't like saying that but he couldn't stay forever and it seemed cruel to make her believe that.

" I know that," she sighed. " Everyone always leaves."  
She sounded so sad that it kinda broke his heart.

" W-what do you mean," Hige asked.

"You still haven't told me your name your name," she replied just as sadly as before.

"My name is Hige and I-"

"Hello, Hige," Myu said nodding a bit. She closed her eyes.  
" I can tell you about it- but it's not a happy story. It doesn't have a happy ending." Myu laughed again. " Well I suppose it doesn't have an ending at all. I hope it does soon anyway."

Myu stopped suddenly. A portion of the wall lit up. An eerie gray color.  
" This is the mine, outside of the mine we work for money. Different color ore that turns into food. Sometimes, the humans treat us like dogs and other times, like humans."

Myu stood up straight and suddenly, just as Hige appeared as a human sometimes, so did she. Her face was tan and her hair was light brown. She was nice looking as a human too.

" But I don't belong here so I stay out of sight."  
Before Hige could ask what she meant Myu continued speaking. Her eyes were narrowed and she bit her lip as if she was trying to remember.

" Humans... they don't like us. But we can survive if we work together. The wolves around here though... They aren't like you. They aren't kind and peaceful. Sometimes they eat each other and they kill each other"

Myu shuttered and yelped. They'd done something to her and it pissed him off.

" Neither of us... them or me... We aren't from here. But I can't... I can't remember where I'm from. These wolves saved me from hunters, so I owe them a debt. That's what they told me. I didn't have a name or a family before so I'm happy now. Everything is fine for me. But your right, you shouldn't be here."

" Neither should you," Hige shouted before he could think better of it.

" Just because those wolves out there kept you alive - that- you don't owe them anything."

"But... but that's not true. I owe them everything. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for them."

Hige growled. " Can you really say your alive now? You're miserable and so is everyone else. You shouldn't waste your life like this."

Myu's ears flattened. Hige winced.  
Neither should I for that matter, he thought.

"I've never... thought of it that way," Myu said."

Hige shook his head. " I know- me neither. But now I know what I really need to do."

 _Hi everyone! Thanks for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction. Please support the orginal authors. Its a little late but Myu is here. I always want to write about Myu. She seems liked a really cool character with a tragic past. I hope she's not that ooc. She and Hige have never met before but I feel like they've got a lot in common at the moment._

 _Likes, comments and follows are very much appreciated!_


	46. Wolf's Rain Chapter 46 - What Could Have

**Hubb –**

 **Chapter 46 - What could have been**

Everything felt so uncertain now. Cher and Quent traveled in relative silence for most of the time. It made since they were tracking wolves. But Quent had brought it to their attention that they were most likely fugitives.

" Even if we aren't," Quent had grumbled one day. "Would you like to stick around to see if those nobles shoot at us again?"

So they trekked out into the wilderness. Both Cher and Quent equally as obsessed with wolves. When either of them did decide to speak it was about different tracking methods.

One night, it'd started to rain. They'd found an abandoned cabin to hole up for the night.

Quent swept the place. Dust covered the window seals. Mold clung to a piece of bread. Whoever lived here hadn't for a long time.

They lit a fire in the dusty fireplace A cool breeze blew in. It was almost cozy.

No, it would have been. Except that, after sitting down and letting out the smallest of sighs, Cher was strategizing again.

" The trail ran cold a while ago, but we've been walking in this direction for the last two days.

So she was keeping track of all the time we've wasted.

" How are we on supplies?"

" Fine," Quent answered. " Everything in this house is expired. I'm going to go hunt. "

Abruptly, he stood up, slung his gun over his shoulder and walked out the door.

Just like that, he and Cher were alone.

They sat on the floor for a bit. Hubb was tired and hungry. He was really starting to hate wolves. Not because of the fact that he was allergic to them even.

He just wanted this obsession to end. This house that they were staying in, he knew they could afford one like this. At least they could have. Before they all gave up their jobs, their futures. The certainty of it all. They'd grow old together. Maybe have some kids. He'd move up in the ranks. They could afford better food better clothes.

But Cher would always want to be a scientist. She'd always be filled with the mysteries of the world. She'd stay at her lab late, wake up early and head back to work if she even slept at all. She'd work herself into a frenzy, scribbling words into her notebook in between meals. She wouldn't eat either and she'd get all skinny and Hubb would spend all his time worrying about her.

Then one day, either she'd kill over from stress or overwork. A criminal would kill him when he was distracted worrying about Cher.

Their lives couldn't be different. Any better. Cher would always find a way to be obsessed with wolves. With Cheza. With fairy tales that she was powerful enough to bring to life.

Cher was amazing. Hubb would always find a way to be obsessed with her.

You didn't travel halfway across the world for someone you didn't care about. It was too late to go back. Even if they could, even if he admittedly would, Hubb was happy like this.

Still, he fell asleep, dreaming of better times. Times that would only exist in his dreams.

Hubb woke up to the sound of someone riffling through cabinets.

Cher, in an outfit he'd never seen before. Clean, without a lab coat on, her hair spilling past her shoulders. rifling

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Slowly she crept over, a pair of water at her side. She must have gotten a hold of some boiling water because she was drinking a piping hot mug of something.

As peaceful as she looked, it was like a dream. Still, she wrote furiously in her notebooks. But there weren't any nobles chasing them. No one was getting shot at. Today was better than most days.

Everything was fine.

Hubb thought he was drifting off back to sleep. Cher looked over at him and smiled.

He was sure he was dreaming that too.

When Hubb opened his eyes back up again. Cher was holding a knife cleaning some fish. She sighed and yawned again. How long had it been since she'd slept?

"You're awake," she said. Observing out loud.

" It's been a while."

She walked over to him. In different clothes than before.

She put her hand to his head. " No fever. But you need to eat something."

She set down a worn out looking plate with little pieces of fish.

She looked at him and for a second she seemed genuinely concerned for his health.

"If you get sick It'll slow us down. Quent went into the town nearby. Nobles are mobilizing them. He wasn't sure whose house they're under or if they're under anyone's house, to begin with."

Cher dug around in her pocket. She looked different without her lab coat on. In a brown hooded tunic, she looked like any of the regular wives passing through with their husbands.

She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket. Smoothed it over on the floor.

It confirmed his worst fears.

Wanted pictures. A sketch of himself wearing a suit. An old memory from when he was a detective.

Cher was there too, her hair tied back into a bun. A neat white lab coat slung from her shoulders.

" Not that it matters, we've been avoiding towns for that reason. It's a relief to know."

She looked out the window.

" We can never go back to how things were."

She went to ball up the picture, her eyes cast towards the fire.

Hubb didn't know why he did it

Flames caught his hand, burned into his flesh. He reached back and put the paper in his pocket.

Cher sighed. She looked at him for a long time, turned and left the room.

Seconds later she reappeared. Gaze and alcohol in her hand.

" Sit," she muttered.

Hubb obliged. She squatted down next to him. No warning that it would sting. Just the next thing he knew she was rubbing an alcohol stained cloth on his arm. Hubb winced.

" It's hard enough keeping the two of you alive and you have to do something like this."

Hubb laughed. "Quent will probably shoot us for using his rum like this."

" You're an idiot." Cher dried his wound off with a towel.

" At least your talking to me."

Cher stared at him hard. Her shoulders slouched ever so slightly.

" I just wanted to find Cheza, to protect her."

It wasn't any surprise to hear her talking about Cheza again. Maybe it was better for her to ignore him after all.

Before he could say anything, make a joke of it all, she continued.

" So I kept going. Even though I probably should have stopped by now. Any sane person would. And despite it all, I'm selfish and greedy. Even though I told myself it didn't matter. This was my life now."

She clenched her fists. "Quent would be chasing down wolves anyway. He's like me. But you… You followed me of your own free will."

She took a breath. Her voice was even and calm. She still trembled and her lip quivered.

" I won't accept it though. I can pay Quent, give him booze and coin. But you Hubb… there's nothing I can offer you."

Hubb's heart ached. It looked like she was about to cry. He reached out, instinctively. She didn't pull back.

" Cher, if anything, I'm just as selfish. I'm in love with you… and I always will be. You said it yourself, I followed you of my own free will. So you don't have to give me anything. Just… just let me help you."

He took a breath. " that's what you do for the people you care about."

They stared at each other for a moment. Both forgetting to breathe.

" Why?" Cher asked. " I don't… understand."

Hubb laughed. " Finally something you don't understand."

Cher rolled her eyes.

" I don't really understand it myself. I don't know enough about wolves, science, or politics. Our lives could have been different if it hadn't been for all of that. Still, I don't think this is the worst thing that could have happened to us."

"You're awfully positive."

"Someone has to be."

He felt like kissing her. But he stopped himself. It wouldn't be right, he decided on his own.

Cher leaned up against his back. She sat cross-legged and leaned up against him. Her body still trembled.

" Despite everything, you're the only person who's ever believed in me."

Her voice was quiet again, barely even a whisper.

" So thank you."

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! I hope this chapter isn't out of place or ooc! I really wanted to write it though. Despite their differences and struggles, I think Cher and Hubb really belong together. They are both very flawed people. They're also some of the only human characters in Wolf's Rain that I don't have a love/hate relationship towards. They probably would have been really happy together if it hadn't been for all the wolf related stuff that happens in the story._

 _Comments, likes, and shares are very much appreciated! See you next time!_


	47. Wolf's Rain - Chapter 47 Unsteady Road

Blue -

Chapter 47 - Unsteady Path

"This doesn't look very safe," Blue said to no one in particular, staring off into space. Up ahead, there was a bridge, covered in moss and vines. She thought they'd gone over all the mountains but there were more waiting to be crossed.

Their jagged edges was disconcerting. The lack of life around them wasn't exactly a comfort. Blue swore she could smell human blood.

"People died here."

"People die everyone," Tsume grumbled.

Blue shrugged. "That's true."

She wasn't afraid, she was way past fear or hesitation. She was however, afraid for Toboe and Cheza.

Kiba frowed. He pawed the rocky ground impatiently. Toboe might be able to take care of himself. No one wanted Cheza to get hurt.

" I walked a mile ahead or so last night. It's all mountains. This is the quickest way to cross is through the bridge," Blue admitted.

The thing they had the least amount of was time. Hige needed them. She'd been stupid to let him go off on his own.

As if Cheza read Blues mind, the Flower Maiden chimed in, polite as usual.. " This One will be fine, thank you all."

"Maybe you can jump across," Toboe said with a laugh.

The Flower Maiden closed her eyes and considered this. Even still Cheza twirled through the air dramatically. She closed her eyes, started to hum. Her hair got in her face. She didn't float. She started to laugh.

" This one has made the effort." Her voice sounded even more melodious then usual."It was a failure, however this one will be fine. So will all of you."

Chezas voice made her feel at ease.

" I suppose we will all have to walk across,' Cheza hummed.

Unexpectedly, the Flower Maiden started to tiptoe across the bridge.

Kiba and the others watched nervously.

The spots of moss that she touched with her feet seemed to grow greener.

As nerve wracking as it was, she made it across the bridge without incident.

Kiba took a step forward like he was about to cross.

" Blue should probably cross next," remarked Toboe. " Since she's lighter."

" Aren't you smaller though, Toboe?" Blue asked.

"N-no." He replied, visibly embarrassed.

Blue stifled a laugh as she spoke. " Alright," I'll go.

So she went, followed by Toboe, then Kiba who was desperate to get back to Cheza from what she could tell.

Tsume went last grumbling about how he wasn't going to keep going if he fell into the ravine. Toboe was a nervous wreck.

When they were all across, Cheza cheered. " This one hopes there are no more of these bridges."

It looked looser and a couple of planks had fallen out of place, but they were all safe.

The mountain trail continued for what looked like forever. It was narrower and more jagged then before.

" There are so many places where we could be ambushed," Tsume observed.

" I think I'd be able to hear someone sneak up on us," Toboe said.

" Your confidence is overwhelming."

Blue was impressed by the fact that they'd never given up. Their quest was fueled by hope and desire. Paradise didn't seem like an uptanable goal, yet their they were trying to achieve it.

Dawn was nearly upon the wolf pack. Another day was beginning. Another day when they still hadn't found Hige.

A wolf appeared in the pathway. Wet and mangy.

Blue blinked a few times. She thought she might be hallucinating.

Pop's words echoed in her mind. " Wolves will try to play tricks with your mind." Now was not the time to reminisce

Everyone else saw it to.

Blues muscles tensed her eyes snapped forward. She suspected so did everyone else. Growls and snarls overtook the smell canyon like road.

Maybe it was instinct. She wasn't sure if it was her hatred towards wolves or her natural impulse to defend her packmates. The thought sickened Blue nonetheless.

The wolf that happened right before their eyes snarled back.

Emotions were running high. They'd traveled a long way without encountering anyone else, let alone a wolf. They were all hungry, tired, generally irritated. Well Blue and Tsume were. She suspected Kiba was to but he was too proud to admit it.

If Hige were here, Blue was sure he'd have spent the whole time complaining.

Toboe and Cheza seemed happy about all of this.

Cheza was the first to speak."Oh," she yelled. " A wolf!" " This is wonderful! Hello, this ones name is Cheza." Cheza curtsied.

"Hi," Toboe yelled. His tail wagged swiftly.

Cheza's voice really did have a calming effect. Maybe everything would be alright.

" Your in our territory," the wolf growled.

Maybe not.

" We'd have no way of knowing that," Tsume growled.

" Who cares," the wolf replied

" Let us through," Kiba demanded.

The unknown wolf didn't say anything. His eyes flickered towards the cliffside.

Once again, it was instinct.

Blue yelled " look out," and pushed Tsume out the way.

Three mangy different color wolves jumped over the edge of the cliff.

It all happened in an instant.

Kiba lunged forward and snapped one of their necks. Blood spilled out onto the rock.

Blue stepped back and jabbed one of the other wolves with her knives. She almost gagged. Just like old times.

Tsume must have jumped up to his paws. He was slamming another wolf into the rock.

Things were going fine. Though there was a dull pain in Blue's head. Cheza was screaming. Telling them to stop. But they weren't going to stop fighting and die out in the middle of the road.

The skirmish was small. Eventually, the growls and bloodshed stopped.

Four mangy wolves lie dead on the ground.

" I'm just glad it wasn't us," she heard someone say. Blue wasn't sure if she hadn't been the one to say it.

It could have been them.

"Pops would be so proud, " a voice in her head exclaimed.

Blue hated it.

She sighed. She shook. Her shoulder slumped. This was the road to Paradise.

Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! It took a long time to get here but here we are lol. I really wanted to write this story arc for a I guess the time is now. This chapter is a little short because (hopefully) the next one will be long.

Happy Memorial Day (well in America at least)

Thanks for reading! Comments, likes and follows are highly appreciated


	48. Wolf's Rain Chapter 48 - Determination

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 48 - Determination**

 **Kiba -**

Kiba sighed. He'd already started to walk again. Past the bodies of the wolves they'd just killed.

It was a shock. After Tsume, Toboe, Blue and Hige - Kiba didn't think he'd ever see another wolf.

The other wolves had practically come out of the sky. Why they'd attacked in the first place Kiba wasn't sure. They hadn't told him and he hadn't asked. But they'd attacked Cheza and he wouldn't allow that.

"Those weren't dogs," Blue said shakily.

Most humans thought that's what Kiba and his pack were. It was easy to tell at a glance. Looking down at them he realized how much he hated it. Seeing other wolves lying lifeless before him

Tsume frowned. " They aren't from any pack I've ever seen. They look like a bunch of misfits."

"So do we," Kiba thought bleakly.

Wolves fought all the time over territory. Or so Kiba had been told. He couldn't remember much about his own pack. The only stories he'd ever heard about other wolf packs hadn't been positive ones.

" i didn't think their were any wolves left," Toboe said sadly.

Blue looked like she was going to say something else but she didn't. She'd killed wolves before, out of hate. He couldn't help but wonder if she was happy now.

Cheza was noticeably silent. Her eyes were closed and her face was cast downward. She wasn't her usual self

" An awful thing has happened," she said quietly

"Yeah," Toboe agreed weakly.

Cheza curled up in to a little ball.

" Are you hurt?" Kiba asked.

" N-no. This one is not. Thank you, Kiba."

Kiba didn't know what he'd do if those wolves had hurt her.

"Those wolves are dead," Cheza said through tears.

" I know… but it was either them or us. And I wasn't going to let them hurt you."

Kiba knew Cheza didn't want anyone to get hurt. But he really would kill anyone who might harm her, who might stop them from achieving their goals. He knew she loved wolves. Usually, only humans chased after them. Kiba didn't like humans, except for Cheza. If that's what she was. He didn't like hurting other wolves but he'd done what he'd had to.

They didn't have time for delays. Not if they were still going to catch up to Hige.

So Kiba started walking again.

" We should get going, in case there are others around that might attack us." The others started to move, slowly and sadly.

" Wait," Cheza called. Kiba stopped and turned around.

Cheza's hands were balled up. She was standing now at least.

"We should bury them. So at least their souls can rest."

Kiba's eyes flickered to the ground. It was hard and rocky.

He shook his head. "We don't have any time to bury the dead, Cheza."

"Or the energy for that matter," Kiba thought. As much as he didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he was getting tired. No matter how tired he got he'd made up his mind that he wouldn't give up.

Kiba hadn't really understood how many emotions and strange mannerisms humans could have.

Or maybe it was because Cheza was usually always happy. Sometimes, unfortunately, she was sad. That emotion didn't look right on her. He wanted to see her singing and smiling again.

But she stood there with her hands clasped and her eyes closed. After a couple minutes had passed, Cheza spoke.

" This one wouldn't want us to be attacked again. Let us go."

Cheza walked ahead from them all.

Kiba watched her in confusion.

Toboe frowned. " is Cheza alright? Someone should go and talk to her."

"All this fighting can't be easy on her," Blue said. " She's not like us."

" Of course she's not like us," Tsume whispered. " She's a human."

Blue sighed. "Obviously. Of course she is… That's not what I mean… Cheza is kind. She doesn't want others to be hurt because of her. "

Tsume looked about as confused as Kiba felt before his expression faded back to normal.

Kiba didn't like that there was a side of Cheza he didn't know about.

Blues eyes flickered towards Toboe. " Like how Toboe is.. or Hige. The point is violence isn't always their first thought. And it makes them sad…"

"That's right," Toboe agreed. Though he seemed more happy it then Blue was.

Tsume shrugged. "Well, I'm sure it'd be nice if we didn't have to kill practically everyone in sight, but we do."

Kiba nodded.

Blue sighed again. " I'm sure, if Hige were here, he could put it better then I could."

"What?" Kiba asked

"That you're a bunch of idiots that don't know how to treat women."

"What do you mean?" Kiba thought.

"What does that have to do with anything?" He asked.

In truth, as much as Kiba hated to admit it, he really didn't know anything about talking to humans or wolves. Sometimes he thought the only reason he was really pack leader was because he was strong and slightly less brash then Tsume. They truly were a ragtag bunch of wolves.

If it weren't for trying to find Paradise, Kiba probably never would have met them. He'd always been alone and for a long time, he'd thought it would always be that way. Aside from maybe the strange girl he'd seen in his dreams that'd turned out to be Cheza.

" Go talk to her," Blue said. Snapping Kiba back into reality.

" Why don't you, " He asked her. If Blue was so well versed in all of these topics then why couldn't she.

Blue glared at him and simply repeated herself.

"You need to go and talk to her, Kiba."

Kiba didn't know what he was supposed to say. He hated to see Cheza hurt. Though apparently she wasn't hurt physically. It was a puzzle he didn't have time to solve.

"Cheza," he called. But she didn't slow. Didn't look up either.

He called her again and again until she finally responded.

"Oh," she yelled as if she'd been deep in thought.

Cheza shrugged.

" This one doesn't want to slow you down, Kiba."

So he matched her pace. She didn't look at him.

" I'm worried that you are hurt after all," he confessed.

" This one is fine, Kiba. " Cheza repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. Then she shook her head.

"Are you hurt, Kiba?" Cheza asked.

" No," Kiba quickly responded.

"That is good, " Cheza muttered. She closed her eyes again, slipping back deep into thought.

" Perhaps that is a lie…" Cheza said after some time.

"This one is not fine at all." There was a strange heat in her voice.

"Those wolves that you just killed… This one hated that," Cheza yelled. It was strange to hear. Joy, sadness and angry in such quick bursts.

"It is not only the death of the wolves… All of those humans… The Nobles. Lord Darcia. Lady Hamona. This one hadn't wished for any of them to die. This one tried to save them all and failed."

The heat from before seemed to disappear, and in its place was sorrow.

"Will all of their deaths truly solve anything?"

Cheza wiped tears from her face.

" Kiba, this one has longed for Paradise since she could think of it. Is it truly worth all the bodies we must walk over to get there?"

To Kiba, of course it was. Did Cheza want the truth? The awful truth that Kiba would gladly kill whoever he had to in order to keep Cheza safe.

Blues words echoed in his mind. " She wants to talk to you."

" Yes, it is. To me at least Cheza, it really is. I cannot speak for those I've killed or anyone else in this world beside myself. I don't like most humans… No I don't like any humans aside from you. I don't like to talk about it but the world is a cruel place for humans. Life here isn't something that I cherish. I've never felt any desire to save a human life."

Kiba sighed.

"I admire you, Cheza. You want the best for everyone. You try your best and you hold fast to your ideals. I'm drawn to you for reasons that can only be otherworldly." He shook his head. "More than anything, I want to protect you."

Cheza looked up at the sky. The sun beating down on them, it was getting to be really hot.

" Thank you, Kiba."

Cheza rubbed her eyes again. " This one longs to live in a world where you don't need to protect me."

" That's why we're going to Paradise."

" And what of those who cannot go there?"

Kiba's ears flattened. He hadn't thought of them. Not really. And even when Cheza repeated her question, all Kiba could think to say was,

" I didn't really care about them."

" Kiba, this one is afraid that she lacks the power to make her dreams come true. To make Paradise a reality… And even we are successful, is it truly worth the cost?"

Cheza still sounded like she was in pain. This conversation hadn't gotten them any closer to where they supposedly needed to be.

"This one is frightened, Kiba." Cheza whispered. Her hands were balled up into fists again.

"Why is that, Cheza?" Kiba felt stupid asking. she had ever right to be scared.

" This one called for you to stop… In this moment and in… in t-that time with Lord Darcia. This one yelled for you to stop… but you did not.

Kiba's eyes widened in horror. " Cheza, I'm so sorry. I didn't hear you." But he wasn't sure if he had actually not heard her or if he'd simply chose not to.

" N-no, Kiba. Do not apologize. Lord Darcia could have killed you. So could… those other wolves. This one understands that you were only trying trying to protect this one and yourselves."

"I see," Kiba muttered. Somehow he felt thankful that she didn't hate him. He sighed.

What must he look like to her? Someone filled with peace and hope was nothing like someone who killed without a second thought.

" This one knows you had no choice." She shook her head. " This one could not ever feel any hate towards you, Kiba. Just as this one couldn't feel rage towards Hige, Blue, Tsume or Toboe. Or any of those wolves that attacked us now."

Cheza took a deep breath.

Lord Darcia, Lady Jaguara, Lady Hamona. Cher. Hanabito. This one could never feel hatred towards any of you. This one loves you all and knows that you're living your life and doing the things that you must that you must. Though this one wishes those things could be accomplished without bloodshed or hardship."

Cheza bit her lip. " This one is mad at herself. At the moment… this one lacks the power that she needs to accomplish her goals."

"You're strong as well, Cheza." Kiba couldn't help but blurt out. " In your own way. In the way that you sing and move and make me want to follow you for the rest of my life."

Cheza seemed caught of guard by this. " T-thank you, Kiba," she muttered.

A moment later she said. " This one will help you all find Paradise."

Kiba nodded. Her words about the others felt strange but filled with a new confidence.

" If there's anything you need me to do, Cheza I'll do it." He wasn't quite sure what she was talking about accomplishing outside of finding Paradise but she sounded really determined about the whole thing. Kiba felt equally determined about it all.

" Thank you, Kiba. Truly, this one is grateful for your support." She sounded a bit happier now but when Kiba listened he could hear the sadness hidden in her voice.

" And thank you, Cheza. But it wouldn't be Paradise without you. We've all got to make it there."

Cheza giggled. " Surely we shawl." She smiled at Kiba and he was powerless to do anything but smile back.

"Being able to speak with you is always pleasant, Kiba." The Flower Maiden stretched her hand in the air and started to hum again.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the orginal authors! I've been meaning to write this chapter for a long long time. Writing from Kiba's pov is always tricky. He's such a loner and he always fughts me tooth and nail over everything lol. I hope they don't seem ooc. Cheza just wants to help everyone. Blue is tired of everyone's crap and Kiba is kind of dense. But I think Cheza might have finally figured out what she needs to do._

 _Thank you for reading! Comments, likes, follows and shares are always appreciated!_

 _Happy Pride month!_


	49. Wolf's Rain Chapter 49 Dreams and Debt

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 49 - Dreams, Debt and Desire.**

 **\- Hige -**

Hige woke up with dirt in his mouth and mud on his paws. He spat. He opened his eyes, not exactly knowing when he'd fallen asleep.

The sun was out. How had he gotten above ground? Myu was nowhere to be seen.

Thankfully, Hige's body didn't feel as sore as it had before. His belly wasn't full and he didn't feel rested by any means. Still, Hige was alive.

He stretched and started to look for Myu.

Slowly, Huge started to walk. He didn't see her anywhere.

"Myu," he called as he sniffed around. She couldn't be hiding that well.

" Myu," Hige howled again.

But he couldn't find her anywhere. Or any of the other wolves that she'd spoke of. It was strange too. Like someone had put him in another location. Where were all the mines and holes in the ground? The ground was still rocky and barren beneath his paws. It was disconcerting to be this lost so suddenly.

Minutes turned into hours. The daylight disappeared. Hige found himself walking straight in circles. Myu and her wolf pack must have left him. His shoulders slumped. Not that he hadn't been trying to escape since he'd first been dragged into one of their caves. He'd told Myu that he wanted to go back and find his pack. Getting abandoned by anyone wasn't exactly a good feeling. At some point it dawned on Hige that he'd abandoned his pack. Even after they'd told him to stay.

Hige's stomach started to growl again as he walked. He tried to sniff out some prey. It dawned on him. Just recently, Hige hadn't cared if he lived or died. He was different now. Hige didn't want to die anymore. He wanted to live. And even more greedily, he wanted to see his friends again.

" Hey," Hige howled. " Thank you, Myu. If you're out there."

Had he been hallucinating all of that?

Had it been a dream? Whatever it was, Hige was thankful. She'd said she wasn't going to give up and what he'd said made sense. If she had been real, he hoped she planned to escape soon too. If she hadn't already. Hige wasn't sure but he started to walk again any way, in a direction that only vaguely smelled like rabbit.

He tried not to think about the fact that he could be walking in circles again, hallucinating or heading towards a stale scent.

Hige kept going anyway.

He slept when he had to, though he tried not to do so out in the open or to often. The fear of having another nightmare scared him almost as much as a gunshot, vibrating sword or wolfs jaws.

He couldn't smell any humans, not even Cheza, much to his dismay. With no real way of knowing how long he'd been walking for or where he was heading towards.

Hige thought of flowers. Of steel. Of sweat and saliva. All of his friends scents lingered in the back of his mind. He'd find them eventually, he told himself. And when he did wouldn't run away again.

He wondered what they were all doing now. It felt kind of wrong that he'd taken advantage of Blue. Saving her was one thing but using that as an excuse to make her lie for him was another entirely. Or maybe it felt like it but she wasn't really the type to be taken advantage of. And he'd been so desperate before. Practically out of his mind and not thinking clearly. Now Hige almost wanted to laugh. He wished he'd asked for something better of her now. Especially because he was basically undoing everything he'd asked of her.

It was probably better this way though. Blue seemed like the type to take repaying debts seriously. Hige didn't want her to feel like she owed him anything. He'd helped her before because he wanted to. And he'd do it again, despite the risks, without the rewards. Not that rewards weren't nice.

After another day of struggling, Hige found a den of mice. He savored the meat. As meager as it was. Everything that he ate felt like some sort of gourmet meal.

Where there were animals nearby, there was water. Hopefully.

That's really all Hige could do. He hoped he could survive long enough to get back to where he needed to be. With his pack. He hoped they would forgive him when he came back. Not one to think himself as much of a survivor, Hige was grateful for his wolf instincts. Wandering through these rocky hills had given him more of a chance to survive on his own then the city ever had. Not that it would matter if he died out here. Pride in being a wolf didn't matter much if you were dead.

In moments where Hige wasn't doing much but walking, he could remember his past. He thought of it for a while, remembering the pain, blood and death of the other wolves around him. He didn't want to forget it or ignore it anymore. He wasn't going to run from it.

He took deep breaths. Jaguara was to blame. She always had been and she always would be. Hige wished he could go back. Travel back in time, but he couldn't. And it wouldn't be right for those wolves who'd forcefully had their lives cut short for Hige to give up his life so easily.

Blue had killed countless wolves in her life. She'd told him so. Even still, she got back up and left her past behind. Tsume and Kiba had run into trouble with other wolves and they were still there. For better or for worse, they were all still alive.

So Hige dug his paws into the ground and kept going.

"Guys," he thought aloud. " I'm coming."

It took far too long to find the small, nearly dried up creek that flowed past him. But when he did find it, Hige had gulped the water up faster and with more pleasure of eating something then he'd ever had.

He'd put his head in the water to keep himself awake.

He was going to live. Over and over again, he repeated that in his head.

Fatigue did start to catch up with Hige again. He was so tired by the end of a long night he had to rest. He sniffed around for any signs of humans. Nothing thankfully.

It was for the best too. Wolf or not, if Hoge came into contact with a group of well mannered kind hearted humans that would feed a tired traveler, he might not ever want to keep going.

Hige sat down next to a large rock and closed his eyes.

" Just for a couple minutes," Hige yawned. He wasn't going to be able to live if passed out from exhaustion.

Something startled Hige. The ominous feeling that he was being watched. He wasn't exactly sure what it was. Everything was quiet but something was wrong. Something touched him in his sleep and jolted him awake.

When Hige opened his eyes he could hardly believe what he saw.

Blue was standing right in front of him.

" You left yourself wide open to attacks."

"Blue? Blue!" Hige practically howled. " It's so good to see you." It really was.

" I must be in Paradise then" He grinned.

Blue laughed. He'd missed that sound. No. Wait. He'd barely ever heard it before. But it was beautiful anyway. Like a song that he wanted to keep playing over and over again.

She smiled ever so slightly." Do you really think they'd let me in."

"Ah," I didn't know you had it in you to make a joke, Blue."

She laughed again but as Hige stood up, her smile dissipated.

" The old me would have killed you, Hige. … And she could have done so before anyone would have ever noticed."

The way she said it was with sadness in her eyes. She wasn't making any moves to actually do anything to him. Hige knew Blue was still conflicted with her past. Her wolf killing self. Just like he was.

"I think you would have been disappointed, actually," Hige replied coolly. "The old me would have died in a ditch miles ago. Or wandered into a human occupied town and never be heard from again. "

Blue didn't say anything for a while. Then she let out a single, muffled laugh.

A dam broke and she started laughing loudly. He liked making her laugh.

" I can't believe... what an idiot you are."

" Humans say idiots can't be killed."

Blue took a step forward towards him. He had to stop himself from stepping forward and nuzzling her. She stopper laughing but their was a smile on her face.

" I'm glad you're alive, Hige." It sounded so sincere and kind that it was really like he was in Paradise. If it wasn't for his splitting headache and hunger pains, Hige probably would have believed it to be true.

" You're a lot stronger than you look" Blue nodded.

"You too," Hige replied without thinking. But she was. " Thanks for covering for me."

"Well, you came back in the end. I'd… hoped you would. "

" Y-yeah um thanks. I guess I sort of had to-"

Suddenly, Hige was on the ground. The wind completely knocked out of him.

"Ouch, " he groaned. " You don't need to be so rough." Still, if Blue wanted to tackle him to the ground then so be it.

But it was Toboe's scent in his nostrils.

"I'm so glad we found you," Toboe said as licked Hige in the face.

" Ah," Hige laughed. "I'm glad to see you to, Toboe. Or at least I would be if you'd get off me." His wounds seemed to throb at the physical contact.

" Oh, oh sorry," Toboe said as he jumped off of him. When Hige looked up he saw Cheza, Kiba and Tsume standing near him.

"Maybe if we all howl together, we can give the hunters a clearer picture of where we are," Tsume grumbled. The grey wolf glared at Toboe.

" Nice to see you too, Tsume," Hige laughed. He couldn't help it, he was really happy to see his friends. He was so happy. His hardships felt like they'd been worth something. He hadn't struggled in the mud and dirt for nothing.

Hige was alive. He'd found the will to live.

Cheza smiled and approached Hige gingery. Unlike Toboe she must have noticed Hige was actually injured.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. " We tried our best to find you, Hige. This one is glad we have all been reunited."

" Me too, Cheza,' Hige couldn't help but shout.

"Are you alright?" Kiba asked, which surprised Hige.

" Well, I've definitely felt better," Hige laughed.

The others laughed too. Hige was grateful that they didn't pry into what had happened to him. They didn't blame him for leaving or making Blue lie for him. They hadn't turned their backs on him or asked him to leave.

And they hadn't stopped looking for him. A part of Hige thought they would have written him off as a lost cause. He ran away from them and said hurtful things. He was a killer.

" If you are in pain, Hige you should let this one know," Cheza whispered, visibly concerned. She sat next to him and pet his back. Closing her eyes, she started to hum a song that made his muscles relax.

Hige yawned. " But I can't fall back asleep. I'm sure you guys are still trying to get to Paradise."

"We never stopped," Kiba said. The same unyielding determination in his eyes.

" But not one of us has been able to get in any real rest since we started looking for you."

" So as soon as you're… better you're going to be on guard duty. Not that you'd be any good at it fully healed, " Tsume grumbled as he started to scale a large group of rocks.

" Sorry," Hige sighed. Feeling his ears flatten onto his head.

" Don't be sorry, just get better."

" So it takes a couple of near death experiences for Tsume to be nice," Hige muttered.

Toboe started to laugh.

" And don't run away again or we'll chase you down. And I'll break your legs," Tsume growled.

" Aww now you're being mean again."

Hige yawned and laid his head down.

" Well I'll tell you guys what happened when I wake up… unless this is a dream too… Then I won't I guess."

Surrounded by his pack with the sound of Cheza's sound, Hige was almost believed it was a dream. But he was happy to believe that it wasn't. Not this time. He was going to live in the present.

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain Fanfiction! Please support the orginal authors of Wolf's Rain! Well I can finally stop torturing Hige_ _for now._ _I honestly thought of having him die in this fic but I couldn't do it to him. Things definitely aren't how I first planned them but this is fine to I think._

 _Thanks for reading! Likes, comments and follows are very much appreciated! (:_


	50. Wolf's Rain Chapter 50 - Towards Hell

**Wolf's Rain - Towards**

 **Blue** -

Everyone's spirits had improved since Hige had been found. Blue found the anxiety that welled up inside her heart subside a bit.

They continued their voyage. Hige's chatter seemed to fill the silence that had ground between them.

" You know, I really hope they have hot dogs in Paradise."

" That sounds more like hell to me, " Tsume groused.

" What is hell?" Toboe asked.

"Its where bad humans go," Blue answered.

"So all of them then," Tsume scoffed

"T-Tsume," Toboe said in a more panicked voice then usual. "Some humans are good you know. "

They both looked towards Cheza who was walking beside Kiba, humming another one of her tunes. She shook her head.

" It is alright. Some humans have done very bad things."

"S-speaking of humans," Hige, suddenly sounding very nervous as well. Stopping, eyes wide, mouth open. " There are humans nearby. I can pick up there scent in the wind."

" Really? " Toboe asked nervously.

They all stopped walking. Cheza stopped humming.

"Yeah, and there's blood in the air. Can't you guys smell it?" Hige asked in a painfully sad voice.

Tsume cursed under his breath. " We all knew we were going to have to fight them again at some point."

Blue's heart twisted with dread. Just when things were going better.

" Maybe we won't have to fight them at all," Hige whispered. They could be traveler's… or it could be an old scent. Maybe they'll just think we're dogs or humans or whatever they usually think we are."

" Still," Kiba said, his eyes fixed on the road. " I don't want to fight them if we don't have to." He looked at Cheza for a moment and she nodded at him.

" We're not on the main road anymore… let's stay hidden and avoid them for now."

" Unless it's nobles after me again," Hige replied sadly.

Blue hoped she was imagining it. That it had to be a nightmare. Pops. She picked up Pop's scent in the wind, as clear as day. "Regular humans, travelers, nobles even- those she could deal with. But why him? Why now?

She opened her mouth to speak. And closed it. What was there to say? "My adoptive father is tracking us down… and he'll kill all of us first if we don't kill him."

She had to say something though. Pops could already know their location. He could be coming this way. The scent was faint but if she knew he was close, no doubt he knew they were close. Unwelcome memories of she and Pops tracking down wolves together entered her thoughts.

Cher was there too and another scent as well but she didn't recognize it. What a strange and unlikely group. Not that Blue was one to judge. Cher and her had become something close to friends. Maybe it was alright if she was with Quent but Blue doubted it. Quent would kill them all and she wasn't sure that Cher would care about that as long as Cheza was safe.

Blue coughed and forced herself to take deep breaths. She thought she knew what to do if this happened. She'd worried and obsessed about it enough . Still, she didn't think it ever actually would.

"No… no… We have to run. Now."

" Why," Tsume asked.

" One of those humans is a wolf hunter. We need to split up and run away now."

"How do you know he's a hunter?" Kiba asked this time.

" Because its P- The... person that I used to travel with. I can recognize his scent."

"But there isn't any time for explanations! We need to-"

" Can we kill him?" Tsume asked cooly.

" There are others with him," Blue forced herself to reply, despite the fact that she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

" So I don't know. "

They all looked to Kiba, who turned and looked to Cheza and then off into the distance.

"We should-"

But Toboe screamed. Gunshots. Everyone winced and the sound.

" Are you hit?" Tsume yelled.

"N-no, um it was just really loud."

Before Blue could even think of what she was doing. she was running towards the gunshots. Towards Pops and gods knows what else.

" Wait," Hige shouted.

She didn't. This time it was her turn to run.

"Where are you going?"

Insane, obviously. Still Blue continued.

Adrenaline carried her through the run. Much to fast, any second now she was going to topple over and split her head open. Down jagged rock and crooked pathways.

It was dark yet again. More gun shots, closer this time.

Blue's heart sank, for all she knew, Quent would be dead by the time she got there.

And what if he wasn't? What would she do then? Blue hoped that the answer would have come to her by now.

It didn't.

One part of her hoped it wouldn't be him. She tried to pretend that it didn't matter. That if Quent was dead she could go back to the pack she'd formed a bond with. But she cared and she wanted to see him. Just one last time. She wanted to make sure he was alright. Maybe even lead him away from the other wolves. Other wolves.

If only she wasn't a wolf. Things would be so much easier

No. She thought of Hige and Cheza and the others. Things weren't ever going to be easy again.

Blue stopped running when she came close to the road. She hid behind some trees. Panting, her head pointed towards the ground, eyes watery.

The smell of death around her wafted around her. She forced herself to be as quiet and still as she could.

A nobles corpse was strewn about on the roadside. Another propped up against a tree, a hole in his stomach. Blood spilled out onto the dry grass.

She'd been foolish, acting in haste.

These were not the markings of a past skirmish. Another gun shot blared out from a stopped wagon on the side of the road. Someone's shrill cry echoed out. Cher's scent was stronger here.

Blue had just walked directly into a battle field.

* * *

 **Cher** -

Being a scientist hadn't ever made her feel particularly special. Not many cared about wolves, flower maidens or the prophecy. Not in the way that she did especially.

The Nobles were greedy. They sought her research. She didn't think they cared much about her. Or that they remembered her face. She'd only been another scientist. Another cog in the metaphorical wheel.

Finding the little cabin in the secluded wood had been nice. But it was a false sense of security.

Cher wouldn't forgive herself for resting any longer. As soon as Quent came back they were going to leave. He'd come back once, with some trapped birds and left again right after eating.

" Quent's been gone a while this time," Hubb said after a while.

Cher had just finished picking the place clean. What few preserved goods belonged to them now. Some kindling, a wool blanket. Basic things Cher didn't normally think about needing. Still, this was hardly a normal situation.

Hubb continued to talk even after she'd left the room. " Not that I particularly mind. It's nice just being around you."

No time to let her guard down right now.

Cher sighed, whether in relief or embarrassment she wasn't sure. " I'm sure he'll be back soon.."

Unless he went off on his own to buy some alcohol. The thought crept into Cher's mind. She shook her head. Quent seemed responsible and capable enough. Not the type to leave jobs unfinished

Then again, so had she and Hubb before they'd left their original jobs.

About an hour later, they heard a knocking on the door.

" It's not Quent," Hubb mouthed, crouching down and peering out the window.

Cher's stomach lurched. Her hand went to her gun.

" We know you're in there," Cher Degré." The voice boomed. With an accent like they were from Black City. Damn it, she thought. One of Jaguara's men.

Hubb tensed. His gun was already upholstered. They crawled into the kitchen and flipped over the little dusty table.

" Ready," he mouthed.

As much so as she'd ever be. Cher nodded.

Whether she actually was ready or not, the nobles came bursting through. Their vibrating swords echoed through the little wooden cabin, practically tearing it apart.

Hubb shot through the wall. He heard one of them collapse. How many were there?

She wasn't sure what was worse, the sickening feeling that she could die here or the feeling that she was far too used to death. Hubb was here. If they died, they'd die together. For what little comfort that was. Besides Cheza, who was busy with her wolves. Not that it bothered her, as long as Cheza was happy it was fine. Maybe Blue, but they hadn't spent all that much time together and their objectives had been completely different.

Another slice of one of the nobles swords cut through the wall. Cher and Hubb jumped out of the way. They both fired more shots.

" We don't know how many there are and we'll run out of ammo soon," Cher whispered.

" What do you propose we do?"

Cher threw her gun at Hubb and dove forward. She picked up one of the vibrating swords. Not completely off the ground, it was far too heavy for that. Cher was a scientist after all. Not meant for all these physical skirmishes. She prayed, to what god to wasn't sure that the blade would work for her.

Vibrations surged through the ground. Her ears rang. The wall collapsed in front of them. The second time, Cher was better at aiming. The sword cut through one of the nobles arms before he could move out of the way.

Only two men stood before then. Hub shot them both, quickly.

Six lives were gone. Humans that didn't look any different then them. If there was a god, he had no reason to listen to her.

" I'm sorry," Cher said and she closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds. She was tired of killing, no matter how hard she tried to desensitize herself of it.

There was a crash behind them. Another sword attack. Cher fell to the ground, her sword angrily pulsating in her hands. More fighting, more death. She would just have to get used to it.

* * *

 **Quent** -

Quent didn't like the feeling of being hunted. But he could feel it. Someone clumsily tailing him through the woods. He sighed, wishing he could go back to the cabin. He wasn't an idiot. Going back to the cabin wasn't an option. Though his leg throbbed and his arm hadn't ever really healed right, despite Hubb's constant first aid.

There wasn't really a part of Quent that even healed correctly.

The ground behind him crunched. Silently, Quent crouched slow on the ground. He threw a rock to his left. His pursuer shot at the sound.

A growl escaped his lips, low and bitter. A single gunshot to the head, and the man hit the ground. He hated killing people, regardless of whether or not they deserved it. He wasn't going to let himself get killed here. It was justified. They'd shot at him first. Whoever his opponents were, they didn't care about his life. He couldn't care about theirs.

Quent couldn't afford to spare the man a second glance. Unfortunately, by clothes alone, he surmised the man was a noble from Jaguara's household. Why she cared about him was another story. He started to walk again, quickly changing directions. If there were others, they'd be coming for him, if they weren't already. Guns were nice and effective but they were noisy.

There wasn't any time to wonder about why and how Jaguara's guards had tracked down he, Hub and Cher. They were probably after Cher. He'd hoped that they'd be able to manage by themselves for a time, not that hope ever did much good for anyone.

Whatever wolf related research she was doing seemed to tie into whatever the nobles had wanted to accomplish. Or what very few of them left wanted to do anymore. Were there that many left? It was strange, they'd never cared about the lower class but watching them attack and murder each other still sent a chill down Quents spine.

He walked, uphill, grateful for the trees and rocks around him. He wasn't familiar with the area. It was still unclear as to where they were. Other then the fact that they'd been heading west. And then whatever direction Quent thought the wolves were heading towards. Cher suggested they go towards the moon, which seemed to be growing redder and redder by the day. Somehow, as ridiculous as it had seemed, they'd ended up going in that direction anyway.

If the nobles didn't come and kill Quent, the walk uphill probably would instead.

A slice from one of the nobles swords sent trees flying. Quent braced himself and winced when a branch hit him in the back.

He took cover as best he could and started to shoot again. Killing some, he hoped but mostly wounding others

Eventually, several rounds and clips later. Several bruises, nicks and powder burns behind him. The nobles pursuing him were dead. Inexperienced soldiers that never should have been fighting in the first place.

Jaguara had to be desperate. But why should everyone have to pay for that desperation with their lives.

Frowning, Quent reloaded his guns. He'd run out of ammo soon. He reached for a knife holstered at his side. He would have to use it at some point.

Blue's voice found its way into his ears.

" If you didn't spend so much money on booze and cigarettes, then you wouldn't have to worry so much about ammo and food, Pops," she'd scolded him.

And she was right, of course. Which was a shame because even now he thought about how he could use some decent vodka.

They'd had two mouths to feed, plus their horses when they were lucky enough to have them. They'd ended up sleeping inside of abandoned barns and other strange places that Quent didn't exactly want her to have to be.

That was why what he'd done was for the best. Blue was better off on her own. Living a normal life. She was talented. She could get a nice job and settle down somewhere. Sleeping in the middle of nowhere worrying about a perpetually drunk old man didn't suit her at all.

Now wasn't the time to be thinking of that either.

Quent breathed heavily. He may have sent Blue away, abandoned her so that she could have a better life. And it still hurt him. Yet another wound he'd carry with him for the rest of his sorry life.

Visions of his family screamed and dying in the flames came to him as well. He and Blue vowing to kill wolves together. Nearly everything he'd loved was stolen from him. His whole town was gone. The tragedy lingered and nearly everyone but Quent had forgotten about it. He had nothing to go back to. Even if he did, the thought of even trying to live a peaceful life while there were wolves out in the world, waiting to hurt someone else sickened him. Maybe Hubb and Cher reminded him or people that could be happy if it wasn't for the wolves. Maybe that was why he'd been so quick to help them.

Either way, he'd made a vow and he wouldn't rest until he honored it. Until every wolf he could find were slaughtered by his hand. Until there were no wolves left. The rage, though cooled down to nearly rock hard ice, drove him forward.

Quent wouldn't rest, he couldn't. Not for his family's sake and any other family out their who could be hurt.

He wanted to visions to stop. The nightmares. The screams. And they did, briefly, when he drank. Still, it wasn't good enough. Things were to fuzzy, noises too loud. He didn't want to think of his family's sufferings. He wanted to remember them happy. That was getting harder and harder these days. He ignored their screams and kept going. Deciding not to head back to where Hubb and Cher were just yet, in case he was still being tracked.

Those poor bastards had simply gotten caught up in the crossfire of Quent's battle with the wolves. And he couldn't afford to die, by Jaguara's hand or anyone else's. He had to track down those wolves.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the orginal authors!_

 _We made it to chapter 50! It's been a long ride here. So I said I was done torturing Hige... then I went straight to torturing Blue, Quent, Cher and Hubb. Sorry guys 0:_

 _I hope this chaper didn't seem to choppy. It was long and I actually wanted it to be longer but work strikes again._

 _Thanks for reading! Comments, likes, shares and follows are highly appreciated (:_


	51. Wolf's Rain Chapter 51 - Close Calls

**Close Calls**

 **Cher** -

Cher thought all the nobles were dead. She'd take back her prayer for their peace if she could. She wasn't going to end up dead in the middle of nowhere where because of some idotic politics.

There was no time to wonder how they'd been surrounded so quickly.

Still, Cher was smart enough to know when they'd been surrounded and outgunned. She didn't like these situations. In the past she'd been smart enough to stay out of them. Fighting was such a waste of time.

"Wait," she yelled. Throwing her hands up in the air. The sword she'd gotten a hold of fell to the ground with a loud clang.

" Don't shoot."

" You hardly have any room to be making demands," one of the nobles scoffed.

She glared at him and he looked away. "lady Jaguara wants me alive, correct?"

The noble grunts glanced at each other nervously.

One of them aimed their gun at Hubb. Hubb stood next to her, his gaze fixated on the nobles. Throughout all of this, she could feel his heart beating. They would kill him. It was almost certain that Hubb was expendable. Well he wasn't to her.

"If you kill him then I'll kill myself."Her tone was wild and low. It surprised her. She stepped forward jerking Hubb to the side. His gun went off at a crooked angle, shooting the noble in the hand.

She screamed. Hubb caught her in his arms

When had she become such an idiot?

He looked into her eyes, frustration and sadness glinting in his own.

 **Quent**

Quent could hear gunshots off in the distance which was never a good sign. Right where he was heading. He sighed breathlessly and decided to keep going ahead anyway. He could ambush them if he needed to.

A stray bullet shot through the trees. He rolled onto the ground, rifle in hand, shooting again. He stood and hid behind a tree. How many nobles were there in this forest?

His arm ached. Quent wanted nothing more then for this fight to be over. The cold wet dirt seeped into his clothes. It was a miserable experience.

Another gunshot, closer this time. Quent was out of bullets. He grimaced, hearing steps slowly approach him.

In a noiseless huff, he held his knife firmly and weaved through the trees.

Blue was on top of the nobles shoulders, her knife pressed deep into his throat.

Quents eyes widened. What he saw was out of a dream. Or a nightmare. But more likely than any of that, he was shot and hallucinating. He checked his arm for injuries.

The noble dropped to the floor, dead

" B-blue?" He whispered, his voice dry and cracked. " It can't… it can't be. How did you get here?"

She landed on her feet, the knife in her hands covered in blood.

" You're taught me well, Pops."

That didn't answer his question but he was glad to hear her voice. He could see the bloodlust in her eyes.

" Why did you come after me?" He couldn't believe what he was seeing. She looked skinnier and the overcoat she always wore was especially dirty. But she was alive.

She closed her eyes and smiled. " I'm glad I could see you again. I'm glad I could help you one last time."

Quent glanced around the trees. "What are you talking about?" He took a step forward.

" Come on, kid. This isn't exactly the place to stand around talking."

Blue stepped backwards. He didn't think he imagined the frightened look on her face. It hurt more then a gunshot.

" You still hate wolves don't you, Pops?"

Why was she asking him that now? And why did she sound so sad?

" You should know that better than anyone," he answered.

Blue nodded. " And I'm a human to you?"

Quent sighed. " Did you get hit on the head or something?"

Blue laughed. But when he looked closely there were tears in her eyes.

" I've been traveling with a… different group lately, you know. I… hope one day you can see that… all wolves aren't bad."

" Blue, what are you-"

" I love you, Pops. Try to take care of yourself alright?"

She turned and ran. He loved her too. It hurt to see her leaving again. Even if this was just a dream.

As she turned, Quent was sure he was hallucinating. There was a little skinny blackish blueish wolf running away. All his rage resurfaced. He threw his knife at the black wolf and starting to give chase. Nearly tripping on a rock as he did so. It looked way to much like the wolves who'd attacked his town all those years ago.

Eyes narrowed and teeth clenched, Quent gave chase.

 **Hubb** -

Hubb set Cher on the ground. Everything felt strange and cold. His breath hitched in his throat.

" Why would you-! I-I didn't come all the way over here to watch you did, Cher! You can't die."

He put pressure over her wound. He'd seen her get shot. Why had she done that?

" I'm sorry, Hubb." Cher said.

This wasn't how things were supposed to end.

" No, no you don't need to be sorry. You need to stay alive. We both do.

He ripped part of his shirt and pressed it to her stomach.

" Don't talk," he whispered. You need to stay alive."

" We'll go wherever you want. You have to help her." His words came out far more desperate than he would have liked. He didn't sound confident and assured like Cher always did.

He didn't take his eyes off of her. He didn't want to move.

"You're going to be alright, Cher. You have to be."

Hubb wrapped up Cher's wound as best he could. Then they were forced to walk up the hill. Well, Hubb carried Cher. Her eyes were dull and she looked weaker but she was still alive.

He didn't want to seem mad at her. But he didn't understand why she did what she did.

" If you so much as harm him, I'll bite my tongue out." Cher's voice, even weak and sick with pain, carried her sharp edge with it.

She was trying to protect him, but it wasn't right. Hubb had been a detective, he'd worked on the streets. He was more capable in a fight then Cher was. And as smart as she was, she should have known better.

But he couldn't be mad and he couldn't lose hope.

You have to live, Cher. He thought over and over again as he trudged past the trees and up the hill.

If anyone should be dying it should be him.

Eventually they reached a road where a little horse pulled wagon sat.

Hubb took a deep breath. They'd be put in that wagon and carted off to god knows where.

There were five of them. He didn't know how much ammo he had left. Whatever he was about to do, He needed to do it quickly.

Cher looked into his eyes. Her body suddenly tensed

" It'll be alright," he said to her in his head.

God he hoped it would be.

Hubb tripped and fell purposely. Twisting his ankle at an awkward angle. Cher toppled over beside him.

One of the nobles placed their hand on their sword.

" You should always search people and tie them up when you capture them," Hubb thought bitterly. " Foolish and clumsy."

He fired a shot towards the one who was reaching for his gun. A short black haired man. Never in Hubbs life had he killed so many people. He didn't hesitate though. Not this time.

Another shot went through the second mans chest.

He kicked another hard on the leg. The one with the sword charged him, he shot him in the leg. Pistol whipped the last man. Heard a loud, sickly crack.

Bodies littered the rocky ground. Hubb sighed audibly. His legs practically buckled out from under him.

" How did you know?" the noble he pistol whipped asked. Blood dripped down from his face.

" What?' Hubb asked.

" That we weren't Jaguara men."

" What," Hubb screamed. " But the mans eyes closed.

" Why did you do that," Cher asked weakly.

Hubb almost laughed. " I should be asking you that!"

Much to his astonishment, she stood up and dusted herself off.

" How did you-" he started, yelling he threw his arms around her, a confused look playing over his fave.

" I couldn't let them hurt you…," Cher muttered, glancing at the men he'd just killed. Whoever they were."

" But I thought…. Weren't you hurt?" He felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

" Calm down," she said cooly. But she didn't sound as assured as she usually did. Her body shook and she'd grabbed up the fabric of his shirt in her hands.

"It seems lying all the time has had a positive effect on me." She rested her head on his shoulder and something akin to a laugh escaped her lips.

" I really thought I was going to lose you, Cher."

She looked down and sucked in a breath. " We're both alive." She said the words as if she didn't believe them herself.

It was almost like they were both in some sort of trance. Considering everything that'd happened today, it was only natural.

" We should go before...things get worse," Cher said. She didn't pull away though. Hubb wasn't in a mood to get going anywhere.

"Where's Quent? We have to get him? After everything that's happened… we shouldn't leave him."

"And you're sure your ok?" Hubb asked suspiciously. " If anything happened to you I'd-"

"Hubb," Cher interrupted. She pulled away slightly and took another deep breath. " I don't think anyone's ok anymore. But we have to keep going."

She looked up into the sky and sighed. " The moon looks as red as blood now."

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the original author's! Geez well this chapter was supposed to be longer but here it is anyway. Let the angst continue for next time 0:_

 _Thanks for reading! Comments, likes and ahares are highly appreciated (:_


	52. Wolf's Rain Chapter 52 - Secrets

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 52 - Secrets and Sadness Hubb** -

Hubb -

Hubb knew he had to get a grip. He tried to take deep breaths, to stay calm. But the smell of death and blood were heavy in the air. They'd spent a few good minutes looting the noble corpses. Cher was methodical in her actions. So composed. She didn't speak, her face was hard.

All he could think was, Cher could have died. He could have died too.

Sure Hubb didn't want to die but he'd made peace with it a long time ago. He'd been a detective after all. Running into danger on a regular basis. Before setting out on this journey he'd thought the town he'd come from was dangerous. It was sure, with the crimes and gangs and murders.

How wrong Hubb had been.

What changed was that Cher was in danger as well. He couldn't stand it.

His hands shook, his eyes watered. His legs shook as they started to walk.

His allergies had started to kick in. As they started to walk he noticed that the moon was a dull red. While he didn't often pay attention to such things, Hubb was sure the moon had been white before.

If it hadn't been for Cher he'd never be in this situation in the first place.

But he was glad. She would have trudged on ahead without him no matter what. At least this was he could protect her somewhat.

Cher trailed behind him for a moment. She looked up at the moon and shook her head.

" I'm sorry that... I put you through all of this, Hubb."

" Don't apologize, I'm just...glad you're alright," his voice still sounded raw. But it was the truth. Hubb wasn't sure he'd be able to go on without her.

" Thank you then… I'm glad you're alright as well. But I do have to apologize… I'm just… taking advantage of you."

He knew she'd do anything to help Cheza.

Hubb turned and shook his head. " No you're not. I can make my own decisions and I chose to follow you… through all of this."

Cher sighed. " I don't understand why you'd ever wanted to do these things. Fighting I mean. Was it really like this in Freeze City?"

They'd been married before, not that Hubb ever forgot. But it seemed like so long ago, almost like another lifetime. He could remember the sun tinkling in through the windows. Wanting to stay in bed forever. Cher actually resting for a while.

He hadn't brought his work home with him. Not that he'd exactly had the option to. Cher's obsession with Cheza took her out of the house more and more. It happened so slowly and so quickly at the same time. Half the time, she'd stopped coming home. Hubb sat in the sun all by himself.

Freeze City wasn't necessarily a nice place but it was his home and its people deserve to feel safe in it. Hubb didn't have the renown or connections to become a noble guard, not that he necessarily wanted to.

So he learned to shoot and he'd help solve crimes. He fought criminals. He'd killed. But not out of spite or vengeance. Out of self preservation.

" It was never as exhausting as this. I did it because I like to help people." He laughed a bit. " I guess I can't help sticking my nose into other peoples business."

" You've always been a kind person, Hubb.

I'm certainly not."

"Why are you doing this anyway."

Cher sighed again and rubbed her eyes. " I can't really help it I guess. It's hard to explain."

That was surprising.

" I like facts, science, numbers- things like that. Things that make sense. The world is a cruel place and I've never questioned it. Never had any interest in religion. But Cheza… she's a miracle. A puzzle no one's been able to solve. A combination of science, magic and faith…. And noble greed.

Cher stretched her arms up towards the moon.

" But…I grew attached. To involved. Talking to her everyday. I love her. She's part of something bigger and I want to be part of it . I need to… I want to help her."

Cher stopped and turned towards Hubb.

" I'm grateful that you're stuck around with me for this long.

Hubb shook his head. " If you really want to, you can thank me when this is all over."

" I'm capable of thanking you now too." She smiled slightly and brushed her hair behind her shoulders.

Hubb laughed. "Who knew that instead of going to marriage counseling, all we needed was a few bear death experiences to bring us closer together."

All those years of living together, both of them caught up in work, they'd never shared those things before. Though Hubb would have vastly preferred a quiet life in the countryside, if this was how it was meant to be then this was how it was meant to be.

" Wait," Cher whispered, stopping.

" Oh sorry I-. " Maybe he'd gone to far.

" Shh, do you hear that?" She ducked behind a tree stump and stared into the clearing intensely.

The bushes rustled. Out came Quent running, looking bloodied and tired.

The older man ran onto the road. His eyes feverishly scanning the area. He ran clear past them in an instant, his face red and his jaw clenched tightly.

" Quent,," Cher shouted. " Where are you going?'

The older man threw himself up on the horse and unhitched it from the wagon.

"What in the hell," Hubb wasn't sure if he'd thought or said that. Either way, both he and Cher were running back in the direction that they came from.

" There's a wolf," Quent replied. As if that explained everything.

Strangely it did seem to explain everything to Cher.

"Let's go then," she said. The cold edge back in her voice. She jumped onto the horse with a moderate amount of effort.

Hubb pulled himself up and whispered. " Are you sure this is a good idea…? He'll kill the wolves, you know? And I doubt… Cheza would want that."

He patted the horse on the head and kicked his feet gently. They started to move. Cher held onto his waist.

Sounding suddenly tired, she whispered. " We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. ...But

... I won't let that happen."

Hubb sighed and followed Quent. " He's not someone I look forward to fighting."

" I agree."

* * *

Blue -

Humans tended to do stupid things. Though she supposed she wasn't a human anymore. So wolves must tend to make stupid choices too.

After running towards the sound of gunfire and Quents scent, Blue was almost sure that some sort of plan would have formulated in her head.

She heard more gunfire, closer to her this time. She hid, grateful for the darkness and her ability to see well in the night.

Blue chased the perpetrators, nobles from one of the orders, through the woods. Tailing them like this, she felt like a hunter stalking her prey in the night. The moon above her head, the chilly air on her skin. She truly felt like a wolf.

It scared and excited her at the same time. Still, she didn't mean these men any harm if they didn't mean her any harm.

She listened to their conversation intently, keeping low to the ground and far enough away.

It felt strange, in this moment the realization that all wolves weren't evil hit her again like a ton of bricks.

She was trying to protect her friends. The pack that she'd found and formed a bond with. She thought, she hoped that wolves and humans could find peace with each other. That the wolves that'd attacked her village all those years ago had been the exception and not the rule. Hige and the others certainly weren't the monsters she'd originally thought them out to be. She had to hope she wasn't either.

She pushed those thoughts away for now. Quents scent had only gotten stronger. The men that trooped through the woods were loud.

" Why do we have to come all the way out 'ere in the middle of nowhere."

Another voice answered back. " She's trying to get revenge. Her sister and friend were both killed in front of her after all."

" Who really knows what she wants. Our mistress is so mysterious these days."

Stupidly, Blue continued following the nobles. Then just as stupidly, she attacked them when they got close to Quent. She thought she could handle it. There was a part of her that believed that somehow, if Quent saw her now, he wouldn't believe she was a wolf.

Blue had been wrong about that too. She felt her emotions fighting each other. On one hand she wanted to see him again. She'd been overjoyed at the sight of him. Grateful that he was still alive.

But it hurt. When he'd thrown a knife at her it Itdmkuurt sure. Blood dripped down her back.

Emotionally, more than anything else. Why had she done that to herself? Blue knew how it was going to end. Defying odds had given her a taste of hope. Hope had filled her mind with nonsensical visions of peace.

So she ran, ready to face the fact that her life wouldn't ever be the same again.

Of course she didn't go back to the others right away. And as blood rushed through her head the thought that Quent would never stop chasing them didn't leave her mind.

Blue had always been running. Before, she'd always been running with Quent. Now her targets had changed

She was swift and fierce. Still, she thought as she ran down the hillside, cloaking herself in the shadows and praying she wouldn't be seen. If she could change then maybe so could Quent.

Of course, Quent hadn't been forcibly changed into a wolf. Or whatever Blue was. Had she ever been a human to begin with? Was it all just tricks on her mind?

She shook her head. Why did all these philosophy questions have to pop into her head when she was running for her life? Maybe Blue thought the best when adrenaline rushed through her brain and she didn't have anyone else to worry about.

But as she ran , she came across farmilar scents. The pack of wolves and Cheza were nearby. Blue found them running and keeping close to the shadows as well.

" It's me," she whispered. Her paws falling in stride with the others. Cheza rode on Kiba's back, looking distinctly distressed. When she saw Blue she looked relatively happier.

"Oh," she yelled. Then she quieted herself. " This one is glad you came back to us. Blue."

She coughed, unable to speak at first. Her heart still beat heavily from her run.

" I shouldn't… you shouldn't be here. He might still be chasing after me."

" Who" Hige asked.

" Pops," she answered, about to add the she'd seen Cher as well. But she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Cheza seemed happy. And while Cher didn't exactly seem happy with being separated, who knew what would happen if she tried to see Cheza again. Blue didn't know and it worried her.

"The human that I used to travel with," Blue clarified.

" someone close to you, " Toboe said quietly. A question mote in the rhetorical sense. " I had the same thing."

Blue didn't think she imagined the sad look in Tsumes eyes.

Kiba sighed. "This Pops person can just chase after all of us then."

" He won't stop," Blue replied, her voice sounding small and tired even to herself.

" Neither will we."

Still, Blue felt like she had to do something. Keeping the secrets of others and worrying about their feelings was a long draining process. The answer of what to do about Pops still didn't come to her.

No one seemed particularly phased. A trait that she admired in her newly found friends. Things could get rough or shocking and they could keep going as if hardly anything happened. She kept waiting for someone to yell or hurt her but the pain didn't come. Aside from the pain in her side.

Fatigue did eventually catch up with the group. They all rested among the trees, on the cool rocks. Blue had wanted to take first watch, she hadn't wanted to sleep for fear of nightmares. Her heart felt restless. But Kiba insisted instead.

" I'm glad you're ok," Hige said before resting near her. " We've really got to stop running off on our own like that."

Blue closed her eyes. " I'm sorry. That would probably be for the best."

Hige laughed. "You don't need to apologize for trying to help…. Sometimes you've got to remember to help yourself too."

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the original author's! Here we go again... this chapter was supposed to be longer but here we are I guess. You know, its not the most functional relationship per say but I really want Hubb and Cher to be happy together. Though this isn't the easiest fanfiction to be happy in..._

 _Thanks for reading! Likes, comments. shares and follows are greatly appreciated! (:_


	53. Wolf's Rain Chapter 53 - Dance of Madnes

**Wolf's Rain-**

 **Dance of Madness**

 **Kiba -**

Kiba knew Cheza didn't need to sleep. She'd told much. As much as he didn't want to take his eyes off of her for one second, wolves did need sleep.

" This one wonders what do wolves wolves dream about?" Cheza had asked them from the confines of their makeshift den.

"Paradise, " Kiba said simply.

" Meat and wom- warmer climates," Hige said, glancing at Blue nervously for some unknown reason.

" I have nightmares whenever I dream," Tsume muttered.

" That's terrible," Toboe yelled.

" Well," Tsume yawned. " Not so much anymore I guess."

" If you have any more nightmares let me know," Toboe insisted. " I can sleep with you."

Kiba watched Tsume's shoulders tense then quickly go back to normal. " I'm fine, Toboe."

" Humans say restful sleep depends on your state of mind," Blue said.

" What?" Hige asked.

Blue frowned. " When your life is awful then so are your dreams."

Kiba felt Cheza tense beside him.

" This one used to dream of all of you."

Cheza spoke perculaurly on any given day. However, this time it sounded like there was something she didn't want to tell them.

"Now… this one wants for you to not have terrible lives."

The Flower Maiden leaned forward and stretched her hand up towards the fading moonlight. Kiba kept watch. Everyone else went to sleep. It was beautiful, he could hear Cheza humming softly to herself. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open ever so slightly. She seemed like she was at peace.

The whole pack seemed relatively at peace despite everything that'd happened.

Tsume sat pressed up against a wall with Toboe nearby, protecting him from his nightmares no doubt. Blue sat away from everyone but Hige gravitated towards her anyway.

Kiba watched Cheza's chest move up and down. She started to hum. It was soothing at first. Then just as suddenly, it wasn't. Her spng sounded painful.

Her face looked hurt, water fell from her eyes. Before Kiba could decide if it was a good idea to wake her or not, her eyes burst open.

Kiba was up on his paws again, as if the nightmare was a physical thing he could attack.

" Cheza, are you alright?"

" Thank you, Kiba," she replied. "However, it was only a dream, Kiba."

* * *

 **Cheza** -

Though unfortunately, Cheza had told a lie.

it felt like more than just a dream or a nightmare.

It felt uncomfortably real. There was a huge castle covered in flames. The flames danced around madly. Lashing out and scorching people as they ran in a panic. They screamed and cried out in pain. Everything around the castle burned. Humans houses, bushes, the people themselves, animals. Red smoke covered the sky in a haze. Suffocating. It was hard to breathe, to think, to scream even if you wanted to.

The floor was covered in blood.

There was a farmilary to this place. It wasn't comforting in the least, but Cheza knew this place well enough

A hooded figure wearing a mask was standing in the center of the ruined castle. Cheza opened her mouth to yell. Why would anyone be in there?

Fire frightened her. Still, she desperately wanted to help the person that was trapped in the castle.

Soon, as Cheza got closer, braving the flames. Going through them burned her clothes. The heat made her want to crumple on the floor and wilt.

But she noticed the truth.

The unknown person wasn't trapped. Or in distress for that matter.

The person danced. They twirled through the air, grinning and laughing. A deep, almost scary air to it.

Cheza yelled. The person laughed. Their grin grew wider. To quickly for her to see, the figure appeared next to Cheza and pulled her close. She tried to protest but she couldn't. The person held her hand to Cheza's mouth and shushed her.

" Let us dance together, " the person said. Cheza recognized her voice. Her blonde hair spilling put from behind the hood. Her piercing eye

It was Jaguara.

jaguara was covered in blood. She wore a dress but it was slicked to her body. Cheza thought she might gag. She was covered in blood too now. The two of them started to move. Jaguara hummed a medley that sounded familiar.

" Oh," Jaguara laughed. " I frighten you? Good. "

Cheza felt like crying. It was her fault things happened like this. That Jaguara was suffering. She'd lost her sister and one of her friends. And Cheza had turned her own back to the scary noble woman. Left her to wallow in her sadness.

She'd left Cher behind too. She was selfish. Native. A voice in her head told her that if she really wanted to help, she'd go back.

"This one will help you," Cheza yelled as loud as she could. This one promises."

Jagurara pulled Cheza close. Started to hum that awful song again. " No one can help me my dear Cheza. Not you or your wolves."

Jaguara ran her hand down Cheza's neck. " If its pain that you seek, perhaps I can help you."

Jaguara fingers were long and pointed. A sharp pain pierced Chezas chest. Her eyes glazed. She fell over. The world was hot and damp. The song rang in her ears.

Cheza started to yell again. " This one will save you."

She woke up screaming. The wolves surrounded her, varying degrees of concern showing on their faces.

"This one is alright," Cheza wanted to say. To smile and sing again. Everything was not alright in the slightest. It'd only been a dream. It was a promise never the less. She'd had dreams like these before, but never as bad. Never as vivid as this.

Now Cheza knew what she had to do. Or at least she hoped she did.

* * *

 **Jaguara** -

Jaguara had been a proud woman. Perhaps it was her pride that'd led to the downfall of her city. Their screams rang in her ears. She could hear her screams. Her sister and Darcias screams.

She had sat on the ground, covered in blood. Both her own and others.

And she cried and screamed and begged for them to come back. Her own life didn't feel real anymore. As if she was trapped in a haze. But what was happening now was real.

The wolves had gone. The fighting was over. The work had just begun.

Somehow, the death of her loved ones had brought her clarity.

Her soldiers brought her back in a wagon. Her city was on fire. She could smell blood. Taste it. Her hair was burnt. There were burn marks and bite marks all over her body.

A masquerade ball gone horribly wrong.

Her anger brought her clarity in a way.

Her plans and aspirations went up in literal smoke.

Now she felt selfish, stupid. Weak even. Things would go back to normal in time. No, not back to normal. Jaguara would find her strength.

Her soldiers knew she'd lost something they just didn't know how much or what exactly she'd lost.

The citizens of Black City understood her failure, they just didn't understand why or how she failed exactly.

Bless the stupidity of the common folk. Bless the laxness of the militant.

Jaguara rode in her cart, feeling every bump as they went back to her palace.

Soot covered the city. She let out a maniacal sounding laugh. It really was black now.

This was the price she'd paid for Paradise. Something that took years to execute gone in the blink of an eye.

She thought of Darcia, his father and his father before him. They'd all wanted Paradise for different reasons.

She thought of the wolves. That stupid pudgy one that'd ruined all her plans with its new pack.

Wolves she had thought were wiped out entirely. The pudgy wolf had been exceptionally good at its job.

With Jaguara's anger came a sadness she wasn't ready to face. Her sister was dead. Her rival, her friend, her twin. They'd first shared a life force. Twins were rare in her household. Both girls..And as part of Nobility, they were expected to marry. The sooner the better.

It was not Hamona's fault that they fell in love with the same man. or Darcias fault that he'd fallen in love with Harmona and not her.

Twins, but they had been polar opposites. Jaguara was a fire and Hamona was a soothing light. She had her swords, guns and authority. Haromia had her picnic baskets and sewing. Now she missed her. It was selfish but Jaguara missed both Hamona and Darcia. There was a hole in her heart that would never be full. She'd been so wrong.

Why couldn't Jaguara have seen that earlier? But she'd lose her mind going over hypotheticals. She thought of killing herself. Of putting herself out of her own misery. But she couldn't do that. Jaguara had taken away enough from the people she was supposed to protect. Anyone could die. Only the strong could survive. Even now Jaguara was strong.

They'd put Darcia and Hamona in the back of the wagon. Then they torched the rest of it. This bloody terrible history was something they'd all have to get past one day. But Jaguara wouldn't forget. She didn't think she ever could.

They deserved a proper burial. Flowers on the graves. Someone to mourn them. And if she died, there would be no one else.

Darcia's bloodline ended with him. The curse that had plagued his family and Harmona ended as well.

Orkum was dead. Good ridden. He'd been weak and she'd never actually liked him. Or his frigid, impoverished country.

Jaguara stepped into her quarters. Her knights hadn't tried to stop her despite the disarray it was in.

It felt uncomfortably warm. Glass crunched beneath her feet. The machines that she spent years building blown apart. Her grimoire was stained onto the ground.

She walked quickly, with purpose, though her head spun with pain. It became apparent to Jaguara that even she wasn't sure what she was looking for.

She unsheathed her sword, irritated that it had been her dominant hand damaged beyond repair.

She could see herself in a plane of glass. Still errely like her sister. Though not dead. It was eerie enough though. It was like Jaguara herself was dead.

Then she couldn't help but picture their dying faces. Jaguara didn't mind causing others pain. She relished the pain of those she loved and those she hated alike. The line between love and hate was a thin and crisp line after all.

But death. Perhaps death was too far.

She gripped the hilt of her sword, weathered and charred from the fire. Just like her.

The thought of death still clung to her heavily. Right as Jaguara swung her sword. Instead, the steel sliced through her hair. It fell around her in a heap. How often she'd get the chance to look at herself in the mirror, Jaguara wasn't sure. But she knew she couldn't bear to look at her own face unchanged yet. Her sister's face. Not until she changed.

With a newfound determination, she searched through her rooms, skin getting nicked on little bits of glass. She didn't mind the pain. Finally, Jaguara managed to find a somewhat salvaged dress

She'd have to give a speech soon, she'd have to clean up her country. So many things that she had to do.

Time moved quickly, Inelegantly. She watched from afar as the townspeople around her scramble to assess the damage to there homes. They calmed down horses and crying children. Blood pooled on the streets.

A tragedy had occurred there. If things had gone according to her plan, Paradise would have surely opened. Before, if you listened closely, you could hear the buzzing of machines. The pull of blood. Both commoner, noble and wolf. The door to Paradise slowly opening, she'd hoped.. A chorus of fervent voices telling her to get the work done. An unnatural cure for an unnatural illness.

Her people's faith was a dangerous thing. It was blind and intoxicating. Jagura had wanted them dead. She'd sacrificed them. Or she would have.

One last look towards her broken palace and she rode off into the town square, alone.

Townspeople gathered around her. Some muttering about Freeze City. How Orkum men must have attacked. No, she'd already disposed of them. So she couldn't help but wonder who'd attacked her. She couldn't help but want to attack them.")

Her sword hung at her side comfortably.

Words formed in her mouth to say to the townspeople.

" We should all be dead. I should be dead. My sister and… Darcia shielded me from death in their final moments. Wolves aren't the monsters I've made them out to be. Or perhaps they are, but I'm even worse. Far far worse. If I'm alive, then I can keep going"

Jaguara didn't say any of that. It felt far too weak.

Instead, she held up her sword and searched for words of strength.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction!. Please support the original creators!_

 _I orginally didn't plot it out like this but somehow Jaguara's change felt right ( and hopefully not ooc.) I wasn't a huge Darcia/ Jaguara fan originally but now I feel kinda sorry for them. Auto correct always changes her name to Jaguar._

 _Anyway, we're getting there!_

 _Thanks for reading (: Likes, comments, shares and follows are always welcome!_


	54. Wolf's Rain Chapter 54 - Unbelievable

\- **Cheza** -

Dreams, no these weren't dreams. Nightmares started to plague Cheza's mind. They just kept getting worse. More and more vivid. Even though she tried to ignore them. When Kiba and the others asked about them she hadn't told the truth, a fact that disturbed her as much as her strange visions, though in a different way. As more and more time passed, she felt that she couldn't tell them the truth.

Eventually, talk of nightmares dissipated. The wolves settled back into their nooks and went back to sleep.

It was nice to be around them all, and yet it felt wrong now. A voice in the back of her mind that she couldn't quite hear called to her.

The air had grown frigid. Like the same chilly unyielding breeze as in Freeze City. Cheza had liked the bustle of people, the stamping of horses hooves. She hadn't liked the cold.

The world, its eco systems and its inhabitants seemed determined to act strangely as of late. Cher had told her that some believed it was the end of the day. That this worlds creator would come and save them all. Or more likely, kill everyone.

Cheza wasn't sure what theology she believed or disbelieved Everyone wanted to believe in something. That belief is what kept people going.

More than anything, Cheza wanted to help everyone.. Sbe wanted to help the wolves and humanity. Jaguara had made many mistakes in her past but she wanted to help her as well. Though there was a part of her who hoped she didn't just want to help because of what happened with Darcia and Harmona.

Humans called that atonement.

Cheza listened to the trees sway and shift for a while. The snores and grunts of the wolves. Then she started to sing again. Hopefully everyone would stay asleep and she could sneak away without notice.

She prayed for their safety and comfort. But she'd be back soon. Everything would be fine.

Cheza struggled out of the cave. She started to run. Her feet plunged into the muddy grass, barefoot. She liked her boots sometimes but it felt good to just run in nature. Flowers bloomed at her feet. She yelled but it wasn't filled with sadness or pain. She realized she was having another vision, however, this one didn't seem bad like the others. A song formed at her lips. Visions of colors exploded in her eyes.

To her left and right were flashes of brown, white and black.

She felt at ease, white little flowers bloomed at her feet and floated to the sky. Moonlight streamed down. But the moon turned red, an eerie glow cast over the world.

Cheza stopped and looked up. Blood poured onto one of the white lunar flowers, trickling down from flower to flower slowly until it landed by her feet. Crimson red turned to black ooze, taking the form of a wolf among other things.

A shiver went down her spine. Fear. The human emotion that she felt quite often. Water ran down from her face. She shook. The darkness disappeared. She sighed in relief. Then the air turned dark around her once again. Something slimy, a dark puff of air blew into her mouth. She coughed it out. Throwing her hand up and grappling her throat. There was blood, so much blood. No matter what choices she made it seemed to follow her wherever she went.

Cheza's breath hitched and her eyes widened.

She was someplace different now. Not the dream world anymore. The world swirled around her, reds, whites and blacks then disappeared all together in darkness. Cheza felt uneasy but for the swaying of the pine trees and the wetness of the ground. She really had taken off her boots.

" Cheza," called Kiba. He stood right behind her, looking as if he'd been waiting for a while.

" You started to run away in your sleep so I followed you," he explained.

Cheza jumped back and turned around. She started to fiddle with her tunic that was damp from the mist

" This feeling is hard to put into words, Kiba

However… this one feels the need to leave."

" Cheza…what... what are you talking about?" Kibas expression was very serious, grave. His yellow eyes narrowed into slits, his jaw tense. The mist coated everything in a layer of wetness. Which meant that her own tears were cloaked in the mist.

" T-this one has to solve her own problems, Kiba."

" I don't really understand what your saying."

" This one must help Lady Jaguara…"

Before she could even finish her sentence, she saw Kiba's eyes lit with rage. Not directed at He opened his mouth and for a few moments seemed to fight to regain his composure.

" All of this must end, Kiba." Cheza looked down at the veins in her arms. She closed her eyes and thought of her dreams, her nightmares.

" Before this one can do anything else…"

"I'll come with you," Kiba said quickly, barely considering his own words.

Cheza barely considered hers.

"No, Kiba you cannot." She closed her eyes and forced herself to continue.

" If you were to accompany me… you could die. She may kill you and the others. So please… stay here."

Kiba stared at her and she stared back into his eyes. They looked dark and grave. Cheza walked closer, sure at this point that she was making a mistake. She'd spent who whole life searching for wolves, for Kiba so it didn't seem right to walk away now.

" I don't mind dying...if it's for you."

Cheza put her hands on his neck and breathed. He was so warm and soft, despite everything.

" This one… would mind very much," she shouted, surprised by the heat in her own voice

" I don't want to die either but if it-"

" No," Cheza said. Her voice wobbled. It was rude to interrupt someone when they spoke and yet she couldn't help it. She pressed her head up against him and breathed in his scent.

" Kiba, you must take care of yourself. "

She pressed her lips to his forehead and breathed in again. He tensed but didn't move away. She touched his ear and started to sing. The low melodies that came to her from some unknown place in her mind.

"Rest now, please," Cheza begged. Slowly and surely, she felt Kiba's weight shift down onto her.

Cheza watched his chest rise and fall, his eyes closed and at peace. She smiled, though a part of her wanted to cry.

But it would be over soon. She hoped. Whe prayed.

Then as she turned around a second image came to mind. One of Kiba covered in blood. She gasped and turned back around. He was fine. Fast asleep. It was just her mind playing tricks on her. A nightmare.

But her skin felt tingly and there was a chill in the air that she didn't like.

" Everything will be fine," Cheza whispered to herself, to Kiba, to anyone who would listen

Then she started to walk. Lady Jaguara and ger Black City weighing just as heavily on her mind.

* * *

 **Quent** -

When the dust settled and the threat to Quents life dissipated, he realized how much pain he was in. Adrenaline only carried you so far, as did hatred and vengeance. But Quent had plenty of that.

Physical pain he could deal with well enough. Emotional pain was different. There was something wrong. Well, no, there was always something wrong lately but now it was worse. He'd seen Blue. She'd turned into a wolf in front of him. It made no sense. With the way things had been going, as illogical as it was, a part of him was afraid it could be true. That part needed alcohol.

So Quent was almost glad when Cher insisted they go into town. He wanted to pursue the wolves but his ribs ached and he was out of ammo. Quent wasn't so stupid that he'd get himself killed in stuboness.

The three of them were quiet as they watched the nearby town. It became more and more apparent with time that the world had been thrown into chaos. Usually he felt as if the wolves were to blame.

This time the war and unrest between the nobles and the territories seemed to blame.

It wasn't until they made it into town and he had a bottle of booze in his hand that he felt like talking. Like asking the maddening questions that plagued him.

"Why did that wolf look like… a human… why did it look like Blue?"

He felt the mistake the second he asked. Was he really so willing to dive into this madness.

Cher stared at him arms crossed, her eyes trained on a map she bought in town. She looked up and stretched her arms.

" You thought so?" She asked, in her same monotone voice. It was strange, though she was a scientist, Cher was also a woman who spent her life chasing a girl she barely knew. Though Quent was hardly in a position to judge others

Even still, she didn't deny it.

"Is that what you saw," she asked nonchalantly, looking back down

Quent thought back to what he saw. Blue fighting fiercely and smiling shakily. She'd started crying when she ran away and he hated thinking about it.

"Yes," Quent said reluctantly. Though he didn't really believe it. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to ask anyway. If he was going to be on this road to madness he may as well walk it the whole way. And somehow, though he'd almost been killed before, his past few skirmishes had been particularly rough. Maybe it was the fact that he could die at any moment that made him lose any hesitation over looking like a fool.

Cher pulled a pin out from somewhere and stuck it in the map.

" Honestly, the truth is…" She turned away. "I don't know."

" I'd appreciate the truth," he pressed, the irritation in his voice started to show.

Meanwhile, Hubb seemed to busy himself in the other corner of the room. As if he was used to Cher's strange speech.

"Then the truth is that I cannot tell you the truth." Cher looked away curtly, starting to write again in her notebook.

She sighed again and shrugged her shoulders. "That's what I'd like to say anyway but… it's not like we made a promise…" She put a bookmark in her book and turned to face him.

" I'm not sure myself… and that frustrates me more than anything." She laced her fingers together and knot her brows together. " There are those who thought of wolves as gods once. That they used to be able to roam the streets with men."

Quents jaw tensed.

" And some believe that wolves can take the forms of humans at times. To disguise themselves from prying eyes. You don't believe me, do you?"

" Not particularly," he admitted.

Cher hummed. " There's a book that talks about these things. And whether you believe in them or not is your choice. Whether or not Blue is a wolf or a human or both is another matter entirely. I traveled with her for a time. She was fierce and strong despite everything."

Cher looked out the window and sighed before continuing.

"But we parted ways eventually. There were different things we needed to do. She always acted strangely… maybe she didn't really think she was a wolf either. So unfortunately for you I don't think my answer helps much. But it isn't against the realm of possibility. "

Quent would have been angry if the whole premise didn't seem so outrageous.

" Your village was attacked by wolves, Yes?" Cher said, her calm methodical voice grating on his nerves.

"Yes," Quent answered skeptically. He'd told her before.

" I can understand your anger then." She opened her mouth and then closed it as if holding back whatever she wanted to say.

" What," he pressed.

" Nothing," Cher replied behind her icy cold stare. She'd be an excellent poker player. " Really. I'm just sorry for your loss."

Quent nodded, taking a swig of alcohol for the first time in the conversation. " Thanks but it's nothing that I'm not used to. "

With a nod, the scientist went back to work. Quent went back to cleaning his rifle. They had a long way ahead of them.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the orginal authors . Things got a little bumpy (major writers block) but I made it somehow 0:_  
 _Comments, likes, shares and follows are highly appreciated!_


	55. Wolfs Rain Chapter 55 - Struggle

**Wolf's Rain Chapter 55 - Struggle**

 _\- Cheza -_

Cheza felt that the plants were her friends. That nature was her alley in this vast world. She had some experience walking on her own. But she was used to the others walking more slowly to accommodate her speed. Sometimes, Kiba would insist on carrying her. She liked his warmth. Right now, she missed it. She missed all of them. Their laughter, their chatter during quiet times.

Leaves crunched under Cheza's feet. The earth was rough and unyielding but she continued on her quest anyway.

The earth started to cool, so she hurried as fast as she could. Which unfortunately didn't seem very fast She wasn't sure how much time had passed. But the forest spanned onward further then she anticipated it would. No humans appeared in her line of sight.

Cheza hummed to keep herself calm.

Slowly her breathing became labored. Then tagged. She was hot and water beaded off of her body. Sweat and fatigue, she realized that she was tired.

It was unclear to Cheza what that really meant. Would she pass out? Slowly fall and fade into the earth? She remembered Cher working late into the night at times. Cher had limitations just like any other human. The wolves broke their limitations. Cheza had watched all of them.

What could she do if she pushed herself further?

Somehow she doubted she'd ever really know unless she tried.

The moon continued to twinkle its sinister looking light onto her. It was colder now without any sunlight. No clouds or snow, just bitter bone chilling cold.

Humans made fires during these times. They huddled together for warmth and drank hot beverages.

She didn't have any of those options. Fire always scared her anyway.

Cheza wasn't really a human so she was probably alright.

She continued her trek through the forest. Until her body felt sniff and her vision blurred. She didn't feel herself fall, but she knew she had. It was if the only sound in the forest was the soft thud of her body hitting the floor.

Cheza wondered if she would be ok. The world around her seemed to fade. Her own strength wasn't enough.

Which was an awful truth that she hadn't wanted to face.

Would she die before she was able to accomplish any of the new found desires that'd become her dreams?

The image of Kiba in the snow flickered in her mind. The world dark and full of blood. She wouldn't let those images be the last things she saw.

No one else had given up, despite the odds. Cheza clutched the ground and struggled to rise.

But she found herself being pushed down again. This time, not from sheer exhaustion or weakness.

The obstacle overpowering her was soft and warm. She found herself enveloped in a familiar and welcoming sensation. At first she thought it was another of her visions.

But Cheza realized, rather happily, that her wolves had come to rescue her.

* * *

 **\- Tsume-**

If anyone were to ask Tsume how to go from one place to another, he would probably give them the exact opposite advice of what they were doing at the moment.

They shouldn't be literally going in five different directions. Keeping secrets from another that ultimately lead to chaos. Unnecessary problems that wouldn't even need to be solved if they'd pick one thing and stick to it.

Find Paradise, kill the nobles, go on some bullshit mythical quest for some reason. Everything would be perfectly fine if they could decide on what they wanted to do. Or as fine as it could be in this crappy world with his strange and ridiculous pack. He hadn't signed up for an needlessly emotional journey but here he was anyway.

Tsume's paws were wet, his fur was cold, his stomach empty. He was irritated from having to travel and unnecessary amount of steps for seemingly no reason. Besides the fact that he was embarrassed for falling asleep so easily before.

And the worst part of it was, he didn't even have time to be angry. For his thoughts to turn sarcastic and heated. Because he was so worried about Cheza.

Cheza who'd been laying face down on the ground. Vines growing around her, even after what had only been probably half a day.

The shear unease in his heart that'd only grown worse and worse. He tried to be annoyed but when he looked at her all he could do was be worried. Genuinely concerned.

She was alive. They were keeping her warm. Lying to close together, sharing the same space.

He could only feel relief.

Kiba hadn't let himself fall asleep. As if Cheza would slip away somewhere if he looked away for a moment.

Though with the way things were going, maybe she would.

He didn't like the sappy feeling the welded up inside of him.

So he wiggled out of the pile of relaxed wolves onto the cold damp ground.

He went to hunt for a while because he wasn't going to die from starvation out here in the middle of nowhere.

Though there wasn't exactly a whole lot of game to be found anywhere. Animals with any sense were either hibernating or gone from this place.

Wandering through the trees in the cold reminded Tsume strangely of Freeze City. Looking for food to keep himself alive. Only now he had a pack look out for a again. Things had strangely changed for the better. Though when things were that bad in your life before it wasn't much of an achievement.

Still if it hadn't been for Kiba and his nonsense, Tsume's life would have been completely different. Animals usually had enough sense to stay away from Freeze City.

He thought of the humans he'd used for his cause. The loud whistle of merchant trains passing through town.

It wasn't like him to get nostalgic. And for a time as crappy as his that.

Then again, it wasn't like him to hunt for some half asleep sappy wolves.

He thought of his old pack and for the first time him chest didn't hurt. He couldn't think back to his memories without seeming sad and angry. But it hadn't been his fault. As stubborn and foolish as the leaders in his pack had been, he couldn't blame them either.

Humans were to blame.

Cheza, he liked. She was kind and selfless. Though slow and terrible at making decisions.

She hadn't done anything bad to him or his kind. Tsume could not forgive the nobles who hunted and killed wolves.

So should he not be able to forgive her for wanting to help humans?

Tsume managed to catch the trail of a large vole. It wasn't what he wanted really but it was better than nothing.

He snapped its neck with his jaws and went about going to rejoin the pack.

They were awake and what Cheza said disturbed him more than anything. Even though he'd heard her say it before.

She really did want to help the nobles.

Tsume was almost sure he heard her wrong. She was soft spoken after all.

But it was the truth.

" This one didn't want to worry all of you."

" Well you certainly failed at that," Tsume sighed as he placed the game on the ground.

Cheza shook her head slowly.

" This one is sorry." Her voice was sincere. Her usual calmness replaced slightly by sadness. He didn't like it.

Tsume stopped himself from saying it was ok. Because it wasn't, even if he didn't want her to be sad anymore

Hige and Toboe did a good enough job of that themselves. Between Toboe's frantic questions as to wither or not she was ok. And Hige assuring her that everything was ok. Though they all knew it wasn't. So there wasn't much for Tsume to say besides grunt noncommittally and shift back into the background.

" Is it true, Cheza?" Kiba asked with noticed reluctance. Everyone seemed to be off in some way. He didn't want to hear the answer either.

" What you said before? About helping... Jaguara?"

Kiba had briefly explained what was going on when he went to wake them all up in the cave. Even still, Tsume hadn't wanted to believe it then anymore then now.

Though of course Cheza, with how nice and honest as she was, wouldn't lie. The thought of helping any humans made his blood boil. It made him want to howl out in rage.

Hearing Cheza say the words herself made it even worse.

" Yes, Kiba. You are right. This one... this one does want to help Jaguara." She fidgeted with her cloak. " That is why this one... left all of you because it is obvious that you all would not want to help."

She was certainly right about that.

"No," Kiba said, his expression growing dark. For a second, it was unclear what he was talking about. There was a storm in his eyes. Despite his control, he didn't seem to be able to mask the anger on his face.

" Of course I would help."

Cheza shook her head again. " However well it is to hear that, Kiba. This one knows it is not the case."

There were moments that you looked back on later and it was clear what you should have said or done. All of Tsumes life was like this and it seemed that this was no different.

" Just let her go," Tsume growled. " If she wants to go and help a bunch of ungrateful murderers then let her."

Cheza whimpered. He didn't like it but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

Kiba growled at Tsume like he'd hurt her himself. " How can you say that, Tsume? You know Cheza only wants to help. That's not fair to her at all."

"Fair? What would she know about fair? And at what cost? Look at what they did to us. Humans, sure. Jaguara especially!" Tsume glanced back to see Hige frowning next to an equally looking grim Blue. We cannot trust them and we can't trust anyone who wants to help them either. "

" Take that back."

" And why the hell should I?"

Any second now any chance of happiness Tsume had would disappear into the blood and pain of a fight. It was the same as with his old pack.

So he could barely register Toboe stepping in between them, his face taut with worry. He was shaking.

"Guys you can't fight! Why don't we talk about this?"

Tsume didn't want to fight but he wasn't sure he could stop himself. He wouldn't let Kiba or the others end up making any stupid mistakes.

" I'm not helping any humans," Tsume declared angrily.

If he'd had time to think then maybe he would have stopped himself. When Tsume was around Cheza he usually felt a mixture of calm and unease. It was unclear who attacked first, only that in the next second, Tsume and Kiba were fighting.

* * *

 _Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the authors of Wolf's Rain. I logged onto the fanfiction website and for some reason I thought I uploaded the fanfiction and did not... So here it is a little later. Just when I said I was done torturing everyone... here we go again 0:_  
Thanks again for reading! Likes, comments, follows and shares are extremely welcomed


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